Murakami signed with MLB agent Casey Close on Saturday, per the Yakyu Cosmopolitan.
At 24 years old, Murakami has been one of the best players in Japan's Nippon Professional Baseball league since beginning his career with the Yakult Swallows in 2018. He made history in 2022 by not only becoming the youngest Triple Crown winner in league history but also breaking the single-season home run record for a Japanese-born player by hitting 56 long balls. This season, Murakami is slashing .240/.378/.463 with nine stolen bases, 30 home runs and 79 RBI across 572 plate appearances. He is signed with the Swallows through the 2025 season, meaning he can look to join an MLB team for 2026. By signing with Close, Murakami teams up with an agent that has represented several prominent MLB players including Clayton Kershaw, Zack Greinke, Derek Jeter and Masahiro Tanaka.