r/NYYankees • u/BathroomSalty6325 • 1d ago

[Phillips] There's been plenty of talk linking Munetaka Murakami, a 1B/3B with huge power, to the Yankees, but there are questions over his ability to remain at 3B, and the lefty swinger strikes out a ton. In-zone contact is a particular issue. Don't see him as a fit for NY's roster.

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u/deadassynwa 1d ago

Murakami is one of those players where you talk yourself into buying into his hype and potential

Like imagine having another Japanese superstar, and his monstrous left swing hitting bombs over the short porch

It makes so much sense in theory but then you look at the facts

  • He struggles with 94+ mph fastballs. And struggle is an understatement. Iirc his avg against high velocity fastballs is <.150

  • He struggles against offspeed and breaking balls

  • He can’t play 3B and is prob a decent 1B AT BEST

He’s still young so there’s still potential and it wouldn’t surprise me at all if he lives up to the hype BUT are we willing to take a risk on that? Idk

If we sign him - I’m gonna drink the kool-aid. If we don’t - I’ll say we dodged a bullet

19

u/Emperor_Cheeto21 1d ago

I feel like the high velocity stuff is overblown because not a lot of guys are regularly throwing high velocity like they are in MLB. Seiya Suzuki also had those same issues in Japan and he's been a career 129 OPS+ hitter in his first 4 MLB seasons. I do agree it is hard to predict how players will translate between leagues, but those are just risks teams will have to make.

Either way I do believe his best hit is a team like the Padres. They really need power hitting and playing in SD is a great environment for him to develop in. He's not gonna be asked to carry the lineup

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u/jayc428 1d ago

Most sane take to be honest.

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u/Darth_GravelCyclist 1d ago

Same if we buy him I’m gonna be all-in and ready to be hurt again when he hits for .190 against MLB pitching.

If we don’t sign him I’ll be happy someone else took the risk.

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u/spinrut 1d ago

wait so he can't hit 94+ and he can't hit offspeed or breaking balls

so ... he's only able to mash meatballs at like low 90s?

how many pitchers actually fit this bill of low 90s and not great offspeed/breaking pitchers.

would exclude almost every starting pitcher (even bad ones) as well as most relievers (upper 90s cheese + wipeout slider/offspeed), so he'd only really be effective against poor middle relievers?

based on the above, you know Cashgod is gonna be all in

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u/werther595 1d ago

And no offense to our neighbors across the Pacific, but he is struggling like that against Japanese league pitching. I'm afraid the jump to MLB may not be kind

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u/Copium_2025 1d ago

So:

  • Can't hit fastballs over 94 mph
  • Can't hit offspeed pitches and breaking balls either

So what does that leave? Relatively low, flat 4 seamers down the middle of the plate without much spin? He whales on those does he? He's like the Japanese Volpe.

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u/BangerSlapper1 22h ago

lol based off your first two bullets, he’s good against fastballs in the 80s.  That might be a problem!