The Philadelphia Phillies' choices in free agency continue to grow as they've gotten a head start in the Japanese market, leading to an abundance of names to consider. Looking to bring in a possible long-term fit for their clubhouse, the Phillies are rumored to be pursuing Munetaka Murakami but are reportedly also eyeing up a better option: Kazuma Okamoto.
The Phillies have been trying to widen their free agency net, which has them competing harder for Japanese talent. It makes sense that they are pushing for corner infielder Murakami, a power-hitting machine who has garnered a lot of early attention with his posting last week.
Although Murakami presents a wide variety of upside at just 25 years old, his strikeout rate could be a growing concern. His last full season was 2024, when he struck out 180 times in just 143 games. He only played 69 games last season and struck out 71 times. Murakami has also struggled mightily against fastballs at 93 mph or faster, hitting a measly .095 this season. Over the course of his NPB career, he has hit just .188 against such offerings.
Kazuma Okamoto would be safer option for Phillies than Munetaka Murakami
The Phillies may want to steer clear of a potential disaster if Murakami can't rework his swing to rival pitching at the MLB level. There's a chance he could adapt if he sees higher velocity more often, but with the average MLB fastball in 2025 coming in at 94.5 mph, it leaves a great unknown.
That's why the 29-year-old Okamoto would be a safer bet for the Phillies.
Okamoto, who was scheduled to be posted by the Yomiuri Giants on Wednesday, was playing in the Tokyo Dome with MLB scouts present, according to Yahoo! Japan. Scouts from the New York Yankees, San Diego Padres, Los Angeles Angels, Toronto Blue Jays, Chicago White Sox and Phillies were in attendance. The Phillies are clearly interested with their scouting on Okamoto, and they should seriously consider him.
Kazuma Okamoto extends Team Japan's lead to 3-1! #WorldBaseballClassic pic.twitter.com/z0bjgPAFGz
— World Baseball Classic (@WBCBaseball) March 22, 2023
A career .274 hitter across 11 seasons in Japan, in 2025 Okamoto hit .322 with a .992 OPS in 77 games. He also hit 15 home runs with 51 RBIs. What's even better with his improved 2025 season is that he only struck out 36 times in those 77 games.
Okamoto also helped Team Japan win the 2023 World Baseball Classic. He went 6-for-18 with a 1.278 OPS, a pair of home runs and seven RBIs in seven games over the course of the tournament.
Okamoto, like Murakami, is a corner infielder. Defensively, however, Murakami may need to transition to first base full-time, while Okamoto could get comfortable at third base in Philadelphia as a possible Alec Bohm substitution.
Murakami may be the flashier player with the bigger name, but Okamoto's efficiency in the batter's box is what the Phillies will truly value when looking to add to their lineup.