The Los Angeles Dodgers are coming off back-to-back World Series championships, but their dynasty could be about to get even deadlier. The entire MLB world is buzzing after images surfaced of Dodgers star pitcher and World Series MVP Yoshinobu Yamamoto having a private dinner with Japanese slugger Munetaka Murakami—baseball’s most coveted international hitter since Shohei Ohtani.
The widely publicized sushi dinner is seen as the ultimate offseason recruitment pitch, hinting that the Dodgers are actively looking to create a historic, star-studded Japanese trio of Yamamoto, Ohtani, and potentially Murakami that would rewrite MLB history.
💥 The Target: Munetaka Murakami
Munetaka Murakami (the main character in this contract pursuit) is a generational talent, officially posted by the Yakult Swallows of NPB this winter.
- The Power: Murakami is a left-handed third baseman known for his prodigious, 80-grade power. In 2022, he broke Sadaharu Oh’s 58-year-old single-season record for a Japanese-born player, crushing 56 home runs and winning the NPB Triple Crown at just 22 years old (Source 1.2, 1.3).
- The Need: While the Dodgers picked up Max Muncy’s contract option, he is aging and dealt with injuries in 2025. Murakami, at just 25, is the long-term succession plan the Dodgers need at third base (Source 1.2, 2.3).
- The Price: Murakami is expected to command a nine-figure contract, likely in the range of eight years, 180$ million (Source 1.6).
🇯🇵 The Japanese Trio: Yamamoto’s Recruiting Mission
The core of the Dodgers’ pursuit is the “comfort factor” provided by their already-established Japanese contingent:
- The Pitch: Yamamoto, who won the 2025 World Series MVP, and Murakami are friends who played together on the World Baseball Classic team. Yamamoto’s dinner with Murakami—at a high-end sushi restaurant, according to social media buzz—is undeniably a direct recruitment effort, telling the slugger he would join a team with a proven track record of successful Japanese stars, including himself, Shohei Ohtani (the reigning AL MVP), and closer Roki Sasaki (Source 2.4, 3.2).
- The Dynasty Factor: The Dodgers have won back-to-back World Series titles. The pitch is simple: join a winning culture and immediately become part of a championship dynasty.
- Commercial Supremacy: Signing Murakami would solidify the Dodgers’ commercial and cultural supremacy in the international baseball market, guaranteeing unparalleled revenue and attention.
The move comes with risks (Murakami has an elevated strikeout rate and below-average defense), but the upside—an infield power bat in the middle of a lineup already featuring Betts, Ohtani, and Freeman—is too tantalizing for the Dodgers to ignore.
