Poll: Will Munetaka Murakami Or Tatsuya Imai Have A Better Rookie Year?
Across the baseball world, the offseason kicked off with a bang for two top talents coming from Japan to play in the MLB: slugger Munetaka Murakami and the beginning Tatsuya Imai. Both players seem likely to follow in the footsteps of other recent stars to make the jump from NPB to the majors, including Yoshinobu Yamamoto again Seiya Suzukiand be among the most coveted free agents on the market. Things didn’t work out that way, however, as both players found surprisingly soft markets and ended up taking short-term deals in hopes of returning to the open market after proving themselves as big leaguers.
As they prepare for their rookie seasons, Murakami as a member of the White Sox and Imai with the Astros, who is in a better position to do just that? Looking at the contracts these two received, it’s easy to argue that Imai’s lucrative deal reflects a huge level of confidence in his ability to succeed. He signed a three-year, $54MM contract with Houston back in January that gives him an option to opt out after the 2026 or ’27 season. That’s an extra year and $20MM associated with Murakami’s deal in Chicago, not to mention Murakami doesn’t have an opt-out clause in his deal.
It’s easy to see why teams would trust Imai more than Murakami. Murakami comes with a number of unique questions, including whether his defense will be effective at higher levels at first or third and whether there is room to improve his lowest contact rate since his time overseas. Imai doesn’t really come with the same concerns; his mid-90s velocity and four-pitch mix are a solid bet to play in the majors in terms of bottom, leaving the Astros less likely to come up with a completely empty investment than the White Sox.
What Murakami lacks in grounding, however, it could be argued that he makes up for in exceptional height. Murakami’s communication rate may be among the lowest rates when over-interpreted, but players love it Shohei Ohtani, Aaron is the judge, Kyle Schwarberagain Nick Kurtz they are among the most productive batsmen in the entire game despite high strike rates and a chance to save whiffs. It’s easy to see why Murakami’s impressive exit velocity would allow him to match up with those elite sluggers, especially since he just celebrated his 26th birthday.
It’s worth wondering if Imai has that kind of elite upside to offer. While his velocity is impressive, scouts have suggested that his fastball lacks the movement needed to be a top pitch. That coupled with the control issues he’s had at different points in his MLB career may set his ceiling at something near the middle of the major league rotation. Murakami, in contrast, can find himself fighting the likes of Jaji once Raleigh at the top of the home run charts if he can make enough connections to be productive and continue to grow as a player.
If Murakami talks the way some in Japan and the United States believe he can, it’s hard to imagine Imai being able to hold a candle to that production no matter how close he is to his ceiling. That being said, it may be difficult for either of them to make a big splash in Rookie of the Year discussions. AL figures to include a stacked class including male players Kevin McGonigle, Samuel Basallo, Dylan Beavers, Trey Yesavageagain Carter Jensen. Even if Murakami or Imai make those players, their status as outfielders already in their 20s could hurt them in the Rookie of the Year voting, especially for younger players like McGonigle and Basallo.
How do MLBTR readers view these two entering their rookie seasons? Who will have the most productive year? Will either be able to force themselves into the AL Rookie of the Year discussion? Have your say in the poll below:
