Japanese slugger Munetaka Murakami has announced that the 2025 season will be his last as part of the Nippon Professional Baseball league.
Murakami intends to make the move to Major League Baseball.
The 24-year-old made headlines in 2022 when he broke Japan\'s single-season home run record with 56 homers in 141 games. He hasn\'t enjoyed that same degree of success since, posting OPS of .875 and .851 in the subsequent two seasons.
Unlike Roki Sasaki, Murakami will not be classified as an international amateur free agent because he\'ll celebrate his 25th birthday in February and will have amassed more than six seasons in a recognized foreign professional league.
Murakami will, however, be subjected to the posting system.