Top International MLB Free Agents in the 2025-2026 Class

Coming off a season that began with it’s first game played in Japan, and its last game played in Canada, it is pretty clear that Major League Baseball has never been more global than it is today.

Shohei Ohtani is the kind of global sensation that comes once in a lifetime, and with fellow Japanese superstar and World Series MVP Yoshinobu Yamamoto on full display this October, the Dodgers continue to cement their standing as Japan’s team.

The globalization of the game is a massive source of revenue for Major League Baseball. One that does not appear to be ending any time soon.

With more attention on Japan than ever before, there has never been more intrigue into the international market, as teams hope they can sign the next big star who could bring them a whole new fan base on the other side of the world.

This year, there are three names that stand out above all the rest in the international free agent class, with 25-year-old slugger Munetaka Murakami being at the very top of the list. There are questions surrounding Murakami’s overall game, but his power is undeniable.

Meanwhile, teams are going to be anxious to get their hands on Tatsuya Imai, as he’s the one arm coming from the NPB that could be a frontline guy. And then you have Kazuma Okamoto, a corner infielder who’s got a high floor to being a very solid big leaguer.

Let’s take a closer look into this year’s international MLB free agent class, starting at the very top, and getting down to the free agents who are trying to parlay a few good years overseas into another crack at making an MLB roster.

Top Free Agents From Nippon Professional Baseball

Munetaka Murakami, 1B/3B/DH, (Age-26 Season in 2026)

Munetaka Murakami has been a star in Japan for some time, as he hit 36 home runs as a 19-year-old back in 2019. His career-best season came in 2022, when he hit .318/.458/.710, with 56 home runs, 134 RBIs, and posted a 1.168 OPS.

In the 2023 World Baseball Classic, Murakami hit a walk-off two-run double that sent Japan to the Classic final. In the final against Team USA, Murakami hit an early game-tying home run off Merrill Kelly in the second inning.

After his MVP season in 2022 and winning a gold medal in the 2023 World Baseball Classic, Murakami saw his numbers dip a bit in the 2023 and 2024 seasons.

He still managed to hit over 30 home runs each year, but his OPS dropped from over 1.100 to under .900, with a .875 OPS in 2023 and a .851 OPS in 2024.

In 2025, Murakami got that OPS over 1.000 again, hitting .273/.379/.663, with 22 home runs in just 56 games played. He is set to get posted heading into his age-26 season as a two-time Central League MVP, four-time NPB All-Star, and the 2019 Central League Rookie of the Year.

He also won the Japan Series in 2021, and has two gold medals, for the WBC in 2023, and the Summer Olympics in 2020.

The questions surrounding Murakami are all around his swing-and-miss. Since his last MVP season in 2022, Murakami has seen his strikeout rate spike over 28% in each of the last three seasons. His whiff rate has climbed over 35% as well, peaking at 37.3% in 2024 and 36.7% in 2025.

The upside is immense. We could be talking about 80-grade power. But you are also looking at someone who could lead MLB in strikeouts, who is not expected to be a strong defender at either corner, but particularly not at third base.

Murakami needs to produce immense power to justify the large contract he is expected to cash in on at his young age. With that said, if he can make the adjustment and can be even a consistent 30-35 home run threat, he will prove to be worth the deal that he signs.

Kazuma Okamoto, 1B/3B/OF (Age-30 Season in 2026)

The ceiling of Munetaka Murakami is remarkably high, but there are real questions about his floor. On the other end of the spectrum, Kazuma Okamoto looks to be a much safer bet as a high-floor player who should make a real impact on a big league roster in 2026.

Okamoto began his NBP career with six straight seasons where he hit at least 30 home runs, with the final of those seasons being a 41-HR campaign in 2023.

In 2024, Okamoto only managed to hit 27 home runs, but the power returned in a big way in 2025, as Okamoto hit 15 home runs in only 69 games. A career .277/.361/.521 hitter, Okamoto has been a model of consistency throughout his NBP career.

A six-time All-Star, Okamoto has led the Central League in homers in 2020, 2021, and 2023, and led the league in RBIs in 2020 and 2021. He also won two Mitsui Golden Glove Awards (2021, 2022).

A strong defender at either corner infield spot, Okamoto brings some versatility as he has even played some outfield throughout his NBP career.

Okamoto may not have Murkami’s raw power, but he does not have nearly the same strikeout concerns. In 2025, Okamoto walked exactly as many times as he struck out. He has always kept his walk rate in the double-digits, and his strikeout rate only eclipsed 20% one time back in 2021.

There is a lot to like with Okamoto, who is one of the more underrated free agents in this year’s class.

Tatsuya Imai, RHP (Age-28 Season in 2026)

One of the better starting pitchers available in this year’s free agent class, and the top arm coming over from the NBP, Tatsuya Imai has a chance to sign a nine-figure deal this offseason.

Imai is coming off a season where he pitched to a career-best 1.92 ERA, with 178 strikeouts in 163 2/3 innings pitched. This marks the fourth-straight season where Imai kept his ERA below 2.50, racking up over 155 innings in each of the last three years.

Standing only 5’11”, Imai throws from a low arm slot that creates good deception with his fastball. Eno Sarris of The Athletic compares his 95 MPH fastball to that of Joe Ryan, with the pitch topping out at 99 MPH.

Imai pairs his fastball primarily with a slider that is regarded as his best pitch, and like most pitchers who come over from the NPB, he features a good splitter too.

Considering his age, effectiveness, and the fact that he is one of the few top arms in this year’s free agent class that does not come with a qualifying offer, Imai may become one of the hottest commodities on the market in short order.

Kona Takahashi, RHP (Age-29 Season in 2026)

The free agent class coming over from Japan admittedly drops off a bit once you get beyond those top three names, but there are still a few interesting arms who could get a shot in MLB.

Kona Takahashi has a career 3.39 ERA in his NPB career, and is coming off a season where he pitched to a 3.04 ERA in 148 innings pitched. The lack of strikeouts could be a big concern for Takahashi, as he only punched out 88 batters in those 148 innings this past season.

Featuring a good slider and splitter, Takahashi has found a way to keep runs off the board for years, and could get a shot, but we could be looking at something similar to Tomoyuki Sugano, where your hoping for a back-of-the-rotation innings-eater, rather than an impact arm to slot into the middle of your rotation.

Foster Griffin, LHP (Age-30 Season in 2026)

Once a late first-round pick out of high school back in 2014, Foster Griffin spent years in the minor leagues before finally making his MLB debut back in 2020. Griffin made just one appearance in 2020, then would not make it back up to the show until 2022.

Across five games with the Royals and one with the Blue Jays, Griffin pitched to a 8.53 ERA, giving up six runs in 6 1/3 inning pitched. A free agent in 2023, Griffin decided to go overseas, signing a deal with the Yomiuri Giants.

In his first year in the NPB, Griffin pitched to a 2.75 ERA in 20 games. He signed a two-year extension with the Giants, and across the three years, he pitched to a 2.57 ERA.

Griffin has really dialed in his command since going to the NPB, and will hope to be part of the next wave of pitchability lefties that has recently thrived in MLB.

Anthony Kay, LHP (Age-31 Season in 2026)

Another former first-round pick who is left-handed, Anthony Kay, was selected by the Mets back in 2016 and was eventually traded along with Simeon Woods Richardson to the Toronto Blue Jays in exchange for Marcus Stroman at the 2019 trade deadline.

Kay made his MLB debut with Toronto in 2019, but struggled to a 5.79 ERA across 14 innings pitched. Kay would make appearances for the Blue Jays in parts of four seasons, but never quite figured things out, pitching to a 5.48 ERA in 70 2/3 innings pitched.

In 2023, Kay made 13 appearances with the Cubs and even found his way back to the Mets for a few appearances, but still struggled to find any success (6.14 ERA). In January of 2024, Kay signed with the Yokohama DeNa BayStars, where he would spend two seasons.

Kay was solid in 2024, but really enjoyed a breakout season in 2025, pitching to a franchise-record 1.74 ERA, across 155 innings pitched. He did so while leading the league in ground-ball rate, something he hopes can translate when he makes his big league return.

For teams who are not looking to break the bank, and are trying to find some upside additions to their rotation, taking a flier on either Anthony Kay or Foster Griffin could make sense on a one-year deal.

Top Free Agents From the Korea Baseball Organization

Cody Ponce, RHP (Age-32 Season in 2026)

A former second-round pick by the Brewers back in 2015, Cody Ponce spent years in Milwaukee’s system before being traded to the Pirates for Jordan Lyles back in 2019. Ponce would make his MLB debut with Pittsburgh in 2020, pitching to a 3.18 ERA across 17 innings.

In 2021, Ponce would make 15 appearances and struggled to a 7.04 ERA in 38 1/3 innings pitched with the Pirates.

Starting in 2022, Ponce made his way overseas, first pitching in the NPB for the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters. Across 14 games, Ponce pitched to a 3.35 ERA, and notably became just the seventh foreign-born player to throw a no-hitter in the NPB.

Ponce spent two more seasons in the NPB, one more with the Nippon-Ham Fighters, and then another with the Rakuten Golden Eagles in 2024. Ponce’s lone season with the Golden Eagles was his worst overseas, as he pitched to a 6.72 ERA.

In 2025, Ponce decided to try his luck in the KBO, where he signed with the Hanwha Eagles. The move proved to be a brilliant one, as he turned in a dominant campaign in his lone KBO season.

Ponce set a KBO record with 18 strikeouts in a regulation nine-inning game, breaking a record set by Hyun-Jin Ryu back in 2010. Across the season, Ponce struck out 252 batters, breaking the KBO League single-season strikeout record.

Having pitched to a 1.89 ERA across 180 2/3 inning pitched, Ponce ran away with the Choi Dong-won Award (awarded to the best pitcher in the KBO), winning the award unanimously.

Standing at 6’6″ with a fastball that averaged 95.5 MPH in 2025 and topped out at 98.5 MPH, Ponce has the makings of a big league starter if he can maintain that velo spike.

He pairs his fastball with a kick-change that was his best pitch in 2025, and a cutter/gyro slider, which was also very effective throughout his breakout season.

Among all of the arms who are looking to return to MLB, Ponce carries the most intrigue and could very well sign a two-year deal, similar to when Erick Fedde returned stateside a few offseasons ago.

Drew Anderson, RHP (Age-32 Season in 2026)

If not for Ponce, Drew Anderson would be the headliner coming over from the KBO, as he too had a fantastic season in 2025. The 6’3″ right-hander pitched to a 2.25 ERA, with 245 strikeouts in 171 2/3 innings pitched.

A former Phillies farmhand, who made stops with the White Sox and the Rangers, Anderson pitched to a 6.50 ERA across 44 1/3 innings pitched in MLB over five seasons. He then spent two seasons in the NPB, where he pitched to a 3.05 ERA in 115 innings, before fully breaking out in the KBO.

Unlike Cody Ponce, it is not a guaranteed than Anderson will look for an MLB deal, as he very well could earn more by staying in the KBO.

Sung-Mun Song, 3B/2B/1B (Age-29 Season in 2026)

A late-bloomer, Sung-Mun Song did not become an everyday player in the KBO until the 2019 season, before missing all of the 2020 season and part of the 2021 season due to his military service.

A relatively below-average player prior to 2024, Song became a breakout sensation in his age-27 season, hitting .340/.409/.518, with 19 home runs and 104 RBIs. He also stole 21 bases without being caught once.

The 2025 season brought more of the same for Song, who hit .315/.387/.530, with 26 home runs and 90 RBIs in 144 games. Primarily a third baseman, Song has also played a good amount over at second base and has even recorded some time over at first base.

If a second division team wants to take a flier on Song, they could start him at third base, but the 29-year-old is more likely to fill the role of a utility role with some offensive upside if he can carry over his high contact rates against MLB pitching.

Baek-Ho Kang, 1B/OF/C (Age-26 Season in 2026)

Still only 26 years old, Baek-Ho Kang is an interesting free agent, who brings a lot of versatility to his tool-kit as he looks from a job in Major League Baseball.

Kang has spent the majority of his time at first base, but has also registered starts in both corner outfield spots, as well as getting some time at catcher. Kang has three seasons where he has hit 20 or more home runs, and has posted an OPS over .800 in each of the last two seasons.

While Kang hired representation and is looking for a big league opportunity, it would be surprising if he were able to find a guaranteed MLB contract.

However, with a strong spring, Kang could find himself on an MLB roster. Especially when you consider his versatility if he can be a team’s third catcher.

Lewin Diaz, 1B (Age-29 Season in 2026)

Lewin Diaz has given no indication that he is looking to come back over to Major League Baseball, but his inclusion on this list is to simply marvel at the numbers he put up in the KBO this past season.

The former Twins farmhand spent parts of three seasons in the big leagues with the Miami Marlins before landing with the Orioles’ Triple-A affiliate in Norfolk in 2023. Diaz put up solid numbers in 118 games played in Triple-A in 2023, hitting 17 home runs and posting an .804 OPS, but found himself no closer to the big leagues.

Instead, Diaz took his talents to Mexico, and later to the KBO, where he put together a .348/.419/.609 slash line across two stops in Mexico and one in Korea during the 2024 season.

Having found a home with the Samsung Lions, Diaz became a star in 2025, blasting 50 home runs and driving in 158 runs. Both marks set KBO single-season records.

Still only entering his age-29 season, Diaz could look to parlay his KBO success into another shot at achieving his MLB dreams, or he can just cash in on being a star in the KBO. With little news of his intention to return to MLB, it seems like the latter is more likely for Diaz at this time.