Murakami is a power-hitting 24-year-old from Japan who is likely to join an MLB team in 2026. Kay believes that the Yankees’ one-year contract with Paul Goldschmidt is a stopgap measure until they can land Vladimir Guerrero Jr. or Murakami in the off-season. At 6'2" and 215 pounds, Murakami has the frame to hit for power in MLB games and did hit 56 home runs with a .318/.458/.711 slash line as a 22-year-old in 2022. He has failed to match those numbers since, but he did hit 33 home runs with a .472 slugging percentage in 2024, so the power remains. How he does in 2025 will determine just how much money he’s set to make when he comes stateside in 2026.