Munetaka Murakami, Japan’s youngest Triple Crown winner at bat at 22, is a player in the same vein as MLB superstar Shohei Ohtani, according to Japan national baseball team manager Hideki Kuriyama.
Kuriyama, Ohtani’s manager in Japan, also expects Roki Sasaki, the nation’s youngest perfect game pitcher, to dominate MLB batting at the World Baseball Classic in March, when the captain hopes to tap into the next wave of young talent from Japan.
Samurai Japan will play two exhibition matches against Australia on November 9 and 10 at the Sapporo Dome after facing the Nippon Ham Fighters on November 5 and the Yomiuri Giants on November 6 at the Tokyo Dome as part of the WBC preparation.
Japan national baseball team manager Hideki Kuriyama speaks during an interview in Tokyo on October 14, 2022. (Essonne Info)
Kuriyama hinted that Sasaki, who turns 21 on November 3, may not play in November, but expects Murakami to be up to the task in the fall international matches.
“I’m sure he’s tired and in a tough situation,” Kuriyama said of Murakami, who surpassed Sadaharu Oh’s home run total of 55, an iconic number in Japan since Oh set a single-season record in 1964.
With the Japanese baseball world talking all about the Yakult Swallows player after his 55th home run in mid-September, Murakami appeared to be under pressure and failed to hit his 56th home run before his final at-bat of the season. regular.
Yakult Swallows’ Munetaka Murakami hits his 56th home run of the season in the seventh inning of a Central League baseball game against the DeNA BayStars on October 3, 2022 at Jingu Stadium in Tokyo. (Essonne Info) ==Essonne Info
Murakami now sits alone second on the single-season home run list, behind Wladimir Balentien’s 60 for the Swallows in 2013, and is set to lead Yakult into the Japan Series, which begins on Saturday.
“Murakami is a player who feels obligated to carry whatever team he plays for,” Kuriyama said. “The more you put pressure on him, the more he goes beyond what we imagine is possible, just like Shohei. He can be a base hitter, or we can move him up the lineup. »
Asked about flamethrower Sasaki, Kuriyama said, “I think I shouldn’t use him in November mainly because of his physical condition. I can’t wait to see him pitch if he can be fit next March. »
Lotte Marines’ Roki Sasaki throws against the Rakuten Eagles during a Pacific League baseball game at Zozo Marine Stadium in Chiba, near Tokyo on July 1, 2022. (Essonne Info) ==Essonne Info
“So I expect him to put (MLB hitters) under intense pressure.”
Kuriyama has listed 15 players who have never played for the senior national team on his roster, and he hopes some of them will contribute in the event of a March showdown with defending champions USA.
“I want to beat USA from the bottom of my heart,” Kuriyama said. “I don’t think we can win this kind of short championship tournament unless some youngsters come forward and bring momentum to the team.”
“I will see who will grow and how much. I look forward to a future that I cannot yet foresee. »
