Top 3 prospects outside of the MLB featuring Munetaka Murakami

Munetaka Murakami may not be a name MLB fans are familiar with, but they should start familiarizing themselves with the young prospect. On Wednesday, he became the youngest player to reach 200 home runs, doing it as a 24-year-old.

Murakami is not the only international player that has MLB fans salivating. There is a large list of international talent that could impact Major League Baseball today, but today, we will focus on the top three.

---

Top 3 international prospects that could sign future MLB contracts ft. Munetaka Murakami

#3 - Shunpeita Yamashita

Shunpeita Yamashita is a 21-year-old pitcher from Japan. He currently plays for the Orix Buffaloes and made his debut in the NPB in April 2023. He holds the second-highest velocity among NPB starters at 96 mph.

Being so young, Yamashita still has quite a ways to go before MLB contract talks open up for the young prospect. According to FanGraphs, his estimated time of arrival to the big leagues is in 2028.

#2 Munetaka Murakami

Muneteka Murakami is on pace to cross seas and join a big league squad in 2026. This is because he just signed a contract that keeps him with the Tokyo Yakult Swallows until 2025.

He is often compared to Aaron Judge and FanGraphs gives Murakami a 60 on the 20-80 grade scale. While they believe he will have no trouble at the plate, they are worried that he may not be able to stick as a third baseman.

#1 Roki Sasaki

Roki Sasaki is generally depicted as the top international prospect on many boards. He is a right-handed pitcher from Japan, who currently plays for the Chiba Lotte Marines and gets many comparisons to Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto.

Sasaki is expected to be the next big thing out of Japan. He is currently on pace to join the big leagues in 2026.