REPORT: Mets Alonso Expected To LEAVE?, TARGETING Murakami & Okamamoto, Bellinger & McNeil News

REPORT: Mets Alonso Expected To LEAVE?, TARGETING Murakami & Okamamoto, Bellinger & McNeil News

How we doing everybody? It’s Wardy here and as you see we’re back at it breaking down all the latest news and rumblings in Mets land. And today that being November 8th, 2025, when I tell you that we have ourselves discussion that might be uncomfortable to some Mets fans, I’d say that’s an understatement. Listen, we all anticipate there to be plenty back and forth and reporting regarding Alonzo and his very uncertain future, but today we’re here to break down key reporting that dropped over the past couple hours from a good friend of mine that we’re going to get into shortly on the platform. having everything to do with Pete Lonzo and how he may very well be leaving the Mets organization barring changes. I want to see your initial reactions in the comments down below to it all as to why exactly this could be and ultimately what it will take for the polar bear to not leave the Mets organization as things currently stand. From there, we’re not only going to break down Alonzo, but other key reporting headlining Chef McNeel to a degree, a bit on Cody Bellinger, and ultimately the Mets targeting both Munaaka Murakami and Kazuma Akamoto that we’re going to break down in great length as we have done previously on the platform. But we’re going to continue to compare and contrast these two star bats coming over from the Palm Pro Baseball League. Which one makes more sense than the other for the Mets? And ultimately, which one are the Mets more poised to actually have a heavier pursuit of if they are not going to say be having the same level of interest in both these players? That and a whole lot more to break down Mets land is what we’re going to do right here, right now. So, all we ask is that you hit that like and subscribe button as you chime in because it’s a fantastic way to support the platform. Let me know your initial reactions, thoughts, and analysis to all the following topics that we have down below for each and every one of you. And as always, shout out to our amazing sponsors that make every single show here happen, everybody. That being at Segeek that has you covered with all of your ticketing needs. Simply head over there to seeek everybody and use my promo code wardy10. That way you too get 10% off whatever you want in the ticketing space. Whether that is UFC upcoming a weekend from now at Mass and Score Garden all be attendance. Thanks to my great friends there at Sege Geek. I hope to see some of you fight fans there. Whether it’s NFL season, NHL season, NBA concert shows, comedy shows, you name it, we got you covered on all things ticketing. Everybody link down below. promo code WY10 for 10% off. Thank you guys so much for hearing me out there. Now, without further ado, let’s go ahead and let’s hop right into this one. And also, I would like to apologize if there’s a little bit of a background noise. That’s because I got my monitor on right now. My kiddo is sleepy at the moment. So, I got to make sure that I’m having my ear out just in case he decides to wake up in perfectly timed fashion right as I’m in the heart of doing this video. But, dad duty calls. You got to do what you got to do. But, okay, let’s get right into this one, everybody. And let’s just start off here with the obvious, okay? No one should be surprised by this. I would like to make that so abundantly clear, it’s not even funny. Okay, no one should be shocked that we’re here to talk about Pete Alonzo potentially leaving the Mets organization because to suggest that this offseason was at all going to go the same as last year would only be for those who have not been paying attention. We all know that Pete Alonzo in large part as to why his market fell a year ago had a lot to do with the fact that this was a man that had the qualifying offer attached to him by the Mets which made a lot of teams deterred from the idea of trying to even consider signing him even on a shorter term deal. And that’s why one by one domino by Domino all the other options that were on the free agent and trademark for first base fell and all these teams respectively filled their holes of need in that regard. Alonzo finds himself getting into the late goings of the offseason last year and inks that multi-year deal with the Mets with those player options. Fast forward a year later, another great year for Alonzo. 38 home runs, 120 plus RBI’s, one of the most clutch batters, if not the most clutch batter outside of Wan Sodto for the Mets this season when looking at runners and scoring position. The home run king of the organization, more home runs than anyone else. Was there or not to love about the polar bear? And we all know that very well. But having said that, we’ll go back to the Munotaka Murakami highlights here because we have a lot to say on both Murakami as well as Akamoto because not only are the Mets in both those markets, but we should be very intrigued by the idea of what exactly is going to be next for both of them. So, let’s get into this one. And Pat Regazo, who’s a good friend of mine, I hope he’s doing well on beat for the Mets, an affiliate with Sports Illustrated, came out with a piece earlier today which stated the following. Here’s what I’m hearing about the Mets offseason plans. And when we get into this article, I’m going to read this exact quote from Pat himself, but you guys can check out the piece in its entirety down below. Implore you guys to do exactly that. Pat’s been doing a very good job, and I have a feeling he’s going to have some spicy scoops this off seasonason to say the least. But let’s get into this, everybody, because here’s the following. According to a rival NL scout, the Mets recognize that their clubhouse is in need of a culture shift following last season’s slow collapse. Now, you don’t need to talk to a rival scout to put that one together. We have been saying that verbatim on the platform till up until the end of the season saying that there was absolutely going to be a changing of the guard for this organization how they look with their core players and their surrounding cast to a degree heading into next season. You simply cannot justify running it back with all the same players when the Mets have nothing short of disappointment really looking at this core group. There isn’t a whole lot else to say other than that great individual player performance but not a whole lot that’s going to move the needle to actually provide a World Series championship. And because of this, we’re going to more than likely see some homegrown talent, some guys that we have loved over the years, no longer be part of the organization because while we have appreciated them, they’re not necessarily going to be enough of a Neil mover to suggest why they should be continuing to stay here in Flushing, Queens. And to expand on that, he did say the expectation is that the Mets will float utility a utility man Jeff McNeil on the trade market, which again is not surprising. And we actually talked about this a couple weeks ago on the platform. How exactly that the Mets look like they’re they’re going to be shopping Jeff McGill this offseason. I had McNeel in my top five Mets who will not return from the upcoming year video because of the fact that McNeel is entering his age 34 season or so. The Mets would like to give a leech to Jet Williams among other second base options if they do not say trade them in a blockbuster deal. And McNeel is coming off of the best season that he’s had since his 2022 batting title year with the Mets. So, when you connect the dots and you say, “Oh, he’s only getting, you know, what 15 or so male for this upcoming season.” And then there is a club option after 2026. Why wouldn’t it now be prime time to trade Jeff McNeil to a team that maybe will be able to maximize him a bit more than what the Mets are probably looking to do next season? Even though he has the versatility, he was our best center fielder cuz that’s how low the bar was this year between the Jose series and the Tyron Taylor of the world. And he was more than competent at second base and he was solid with the bat. The point stands. McNeil is not a needle mover for you. We know him at his best. He’s already peaked in his career for the most part, at least that we have seen to this point. And the Mets, if they want to give a leash to their youth movement, now is the time to do so. Otherwise, when are you going to do it, right? You’re going to wait another couple years until maybe these prospects don’t pan out. It just doesn’t make all that much sense. So, Jevingale being traded is one of the worstkept secrets that the Mets have in this off season. And I fully anticipate that he will be dealt barring barring changes now that he finally has a level of trade value with him. But it doesn’t just stop there. It continues on and it goes to state that also that the Mets are going to left franchise cornerstone first baseman Petal Lonzo Walk and for agency unless he takes a teamfriendly deal. Now I know this may come as a shock to some of you guys to hear such a thing, but anyone who’s genuinely been been paying attention to this point should not be surprised should this be the potential outcome. And the reason why I’m not maybe kicking and screaming and crying over this is because I’ve had well in my head for months on end that Pete Alonzo may not return next season. And yes, I’m going to be beyond disheartened should that happen as he is the home run king this organization. Feels like yesterday that I was at a game there in 2019 and I attended his first ever game in which he hit a home run at City Field. Now fast forward all these years later, he’s literally the leader in charge of home runs in this organization’s history. It’s crazy how much time can fly with the polar bear, but that has been the case. And Pete Alonzo, as we know, is going to have a more robust market than what he had a year ago. He’s going to have a lot of suitors and not having that qualifying offer attached is going to put him in the direction to get more of that longer term deal he’s eyeing, especially knowing that we’re an offseason away from a potential long-term lockout, which allows him never get an opportunity to get the kind of payday he’s looking for now ever again in his career. There’s a lot on the line for him long-term, as well as him being a Scott Boris client. So, you know, they’re going to do everything in their power to maximize the dollars. And it’s not that the Mets are opposed to giving Peter Allonzo the money. They are more than fine and more than happy to give Alonzo the AEV he’s looking for. But the problem here has everything to do with the years. And that has been the case. That’ll continue to be the case. Why I personally love the idea of locking Alonzo down long term, transitioning him to DH after the next couple years, if not immediately. And if say the back ends of his years look bad on his contract, eat it and deal with it. Steve Con has done that with James McCann. He did that initially with Robinson Canó’s deal among others. I’m more than likely certain that he can be able to do that with a back end of a Petalonzo contract that maybe doesn’t age all that well and that scenario. But here’s the reason as to why the New York Mets are perfectly positioned to not bring Pete Alonzo back. And I know you guys do not want to hear this, but it’s a fact. David Sterns is trying to make this team better both offensively and defensively next season. Allonzo is nothing short of a liability at first base. And I constantly get counters from those in the comments down below saying, “What are you talking about? He lays his body out all the time.” I’m aware he lays his body out all the time. He does it more than any any other first baseman in baseball, as a matter of fact. I mean, at least double more than the average first baseman in baseball, as a matter of fact. And while Lonzo has been an iron man in his ability to stay healthy every single year, giving you normally around a full 162, doesn’t change the fact that almost every single season in Allonzo’s career, with the exception of 2023, in which it meant nothing for this team. He has been absolutely horrendous statistically at the position. And also, he has not looked good with the eye test either. Yes, he has saved some errors because Mark Ventos can’t field a single ball at the hot quarter, nor he should he ever be playing at third base again for this Mets team. He’s a DH through and through. Nothing more, nothing less, just exactly that. Alonzo, while he has saved a lot of potential errors over the years, he also hasn’t done himself any favors. He’s had the yips trying to get underhand tosses at first base. He’s had the yips trying to throw to home. We have seen these blunders continue to mount, and they did cost the Mets games. Now, did he cost the Mets more than Allonzo helping this team offensively? Not at all. And that should not get twisted. Alonzo’s lack of defense is not as prominent as his upside with his offense. I think we can all agree. But here’s where we have more of the problem. It’s not just the terms. It’s not just the defense, but it’s the changing of the guard. The Mets moving past Pete Alonzo is a clear indication that they while they valued him, do not believe that he is necessarily a guy that they view as a leader in this organization moving forward. And while you may have your choice opinions on that, and I do as well, because I do not want to see Alonzo walk whatsoever, I hope and pray he still returns this Mets team. There’s clear indication though that the Mets have an appetite which is that if Peter Allonzo has high demands in similarity to last offseason but can actually get them elsewhere. The Mets are not necessarily going to bend over backwards and make sure that their home run returns long term. And my reply to this is it’s going to be terrible for the fan base from a look. It’s going to be terrible with the optics. How can it not be? The only way for this to not be bad with the optics is if the Mets properly replace Alonzo in ways that maybe we’re not currently thinking right now in creative ways and really bolstering both offense and defense. But it would be nothing short of disheartening to the fan base as well as great frustration heading in next year knowing that David Sterns wasn’t bringing the polar bear back when a lot of Mets fans do not like David Sterns right now. And I can’t fault them after everything that went wrong this past season. But the point here stands if Allonzo is gonna have his foot down on the long-term contract of let’s say at minimum six or seven years and he gets that from a schmuck and Arty Marino with the LA Angels or let’s say somehow someway another big team in the American League goes after him like that, right? Let’s just say for argument sake it’s a team that is not a clear rival for the Mets. So it’s not necessarily going to hurt them immediately to have to face him constantly, but it will be a team obviously that’s looking to lock him down long term. If the Mets find the proper replacements, I think we will be able to move past this as an organization. Because as much as we love Alonzo, what has Alonzo done to suggest that he is going to be the needle mover in this team winning championship anytime soon? He can continue to dominate as a fantastic slugger, the best in this organization that we’ve seen it in its history, you can rightfully say. But that has not led to championships to this point. And yes, there is no eye in team. I’m aware of that. So, he himself cannot be at fault for the lack of success at this point, per se. But the point here is that the Mets are looking for a true culture change in this organization, in the clubhouse, on the field. This is a way to do so. Now, my biggest rebuttal to this is a culture change only means so much if you do not put the proper players in place that are both great on and off the field. What are the Mets going to do in a world where Peter Allonzo is not a Met next season and beyond? What are they going to do there? And we’re going to talk about some of those possibilities in today’s video when evaluating Munotakami and um Kazuma Akamoto. I love both them for different reasons and I like one a bit more than the other and you know that to a degree, but I’ll expand on that here shortly. So, we are going to get into those potential replacements in this. And when speaking on potential replacements, we also did have Pat Regazo make noted in this article that do not be surprised if the Mets find themselves of heavy interest in really being of consideration for Cody Bellinger. And this does also make a lot of sense and I said it in my free agent target video and we’ll do another one upcoming on the platform shortly everybody. But I did see how Cody Bellinger actually makes a lot of sense for the New York Mets especially in a world where Pete Alonzo walked. He can play first base. He can play the outfield for you. He can play all over the place. And that versatility is significant for someone like Sterns who’s trying to balance this team in various directions. Also add on the fact that what does Cody Bellinger have unlike Pete Alonzo? A World Series ring. He actually knows what it takes to win a championship. And this is not at all a slight on Alonzo because it’s not his fault that he wasn’t part of say the big bad Dodgers among others, but the point stands here is that Bellinger does understand what it takes to get over that hump to get into the World Series and to actually prevail in the end. We can say that for many teams on this uh many players on this Mets roster right now. So they have not only that kind of mind, that experience, but the great play that we see with Bellinger with just under 30 home runs, just under 100 RBI’s this last year, 272, 334, 480 clip, a five or season, 25% above league average as a batter. There’s a lot to like about Cody Bellinger. And also, shout out to whoever it was on YouTube that finally chefed up a highlight reel of Cody Bellinger. I’ve been running his 2024 highlights every time I’ve talked about him the past, I don’t know, month or so because I haven’t found a good montage of his Yankee highlights. But here we go. Now you have it, everybody. But do I want Cody Bellinger to be the Pete Alonzo replacement? No. I want Allonzo to return. However, can I stomach a Bellinger being the replacement and the Mets really make this team the best looking it could possibly be for next season? Absolutely. Because as much as I love Pete Alonzo, as much as you love Pete Alonzo, you want to know what us Mets fans probably care about most. I mean, the rational Mets fan at least should. And that’s winning. That’s success. And in order to have success, you need to make changes. And this has always been a potential possibility heading in the offseason that the Mets would have a changing of the guard with some of their leaders, some of their core group because they have not gotten the job done. And whether there has been turmoil in the clubhouse and on the field has yet to be seen. I’m not entirely sure. I am positive that if Alonzo does walk, we will get a breaking news piece from say the New York Post with the payw wall that you guys got to go ahead and read and they’ll tell you about the little details about what they found out about, oh okay, this was not only a culture issue with Peter Allonzo, but there were many believed that yes, he actually was two degree part of the problem. I’m not at all saying that that is verbatim what’s going to happen. I’m just saying don’t be surprised because that’s usually the trend if you would see lose an organizational talent like Alonzo. So the point stands, does a rival scout have for certain the future of the Mets in their offseason? No. But him making these statements is indicative of what we all know to this point. And that’s really what I want to reaffirm. This is not as much about it being, oh my god, breaking news. Allonzo’s for certain leaving, but rather a further reality check that yes, there’s a great possibility that Pete Lonzo never plays as a New York Met again. As much as that is frustrating to say, as much as it feels contrary to what Steve Cohen heard from Alonzo in last year’s negotiations, their final sitdown that they had reportedly before they inked their new contract, it was Scott Boris, Pete Alonzo, David Sterns, and Steve Cohen. I believe that they were out eating somewhere. I forget the exact where they were location-wise, but they met up. And Alonzo was pissed. He put his foot down. He hated how the negotiations went. He hated how his market was inflated because of not inflated but died down because of QO. And he said verbatim, I’m going to hit 500 plus home runs in my career and I’m going to be a Hall of Famer regardless as if I’m a New York Met or not. And that was more the sign for Pete Alonzo, David Sterns to come together and say, “Hey, we know you’re valuable. Let’s make this happen. Let’s give you your north of 25 mil or so AEV per season with you having control over the next couple years knowing you’re inevitably going to opt out a year from now.” And Alonzo took this in stride. He took this season greatly for the most part and didn’t look like a shove himself, which was all the 2024 season of walker up until Devin Williams gave him a pitch that tipped a little bit that he was able to go oppo on and there’s the rest is history since then. So for the polar bear and for the New York Mets, if the Mets do in fact part ways with him, Cody Bellinger is a name that we’re going to be keeping a lot of paying attention to. You also have to bear in mind the Mets are not going to allow Alonzo to drag his negotiations this off season. into January and or February while all the other dominoes fall. It is not going to happen that way. More than likely, last year was easier to justify because of the QO. The Mets were confident that Allonzo wasn’t going to get anything close to what he was initially asking. And that held true. This is not the same circumstance. He has more suitors and this is an off seasonason that the Mets have to make sure that they do not sit on their hands too much because the last thing that the Mets would want, what us fans would want is for us to get ourselves into say mid to late January, maybe early February at latest. All the big names are off the board as to feasible first base DH options. And what do you come to find out? Allonzo doesn’t return as a New York Met. Then you’re looking at yourself at the possibility of having to make a desperate last minute trade for a player or trying to figure out if you didn’t deal him at that point yet. All right, time to dabble Mark Ventos at first base. And that is not something of a route the Mets want to go down. Pretty sure that the Mets would like to upgrade their first base defense at minimum and not downgrade it, which is what would absolutely happen if Ventos was the guy in that position. Cuz you think Mark Ventos is going to be a better first baseman than Petonzo. I mean, what are we doing here? We’re just talking nonsense for the sake of yapping. So to put a pin in it to kind of bring this all back together, do I believe Petono is for certain going to leave the organization? No, I do not. I fully anticipate these back and forth with the rival reporting of scouts as well as you’re going to have John Heymon come out with an exclusive piece. You’re going to have Joel Sherman come out with an exclusive piece. You might have even a to a certain degree a Robert Murray from fan sided or say someone there other in the Mets space even Chip Hassen. You’re going to see these things continue to come out in the offseason. But I’m telling you here, right here, right now, this is going to be a lengthy negotiation. This is not going to be overly enjoyable negotiation. And I can tell you in confidence that having spoken to people in the industry around knowing that they have complete ties in the Mets organization, I would be lying if I didn’t say to you guys verbatim right now the following. What that rival scout said is true. From everything that I’ve heard, we should be surprised if Pete Alonzo is a New York Met neck next season unless it goes in hand with what the Mets deem as reasonable contractwise. Now, can that change? Of course, it can change. Everything can change in the offseason. Negotiations can change on the fly. So, what we know reportedly at this point can be completely contrary to what we find out in the coming weeks. And that’s why I want to make this all abundantly clear to you guys that maybe do not understand how these things go. It is not as straightforward as, oh, Pete Alonzo is walking, that’s that. No, there’s so much more that goes into it. I assure you. But, do I believe that there’s a great degree that Allonzo returns next season? No. I am currently under the mentality that Ponzo will no longer be in New York Met and that we’ve already seen him play his last game as a Met. And I don’t see that happily. I really do not because I want Allonzo to return long term. But as of now, from everything that we know publicly and what I know privately to this point, I too will be surprised if Alonzo returns the Mets at this point in time. Can it change? Of course, things can change. But I would say right now, my confidence in Edwin Diaz returning the Mets is greater than Ponzo. That is that is genuinely how I feel at this point in time. And I will say this much, if the Mets do in fact part ways with Pete Lonzo, I’m not at all going to be complaining if they bring in a Cody Bellinger as well as some other surrounding cast pieces that make this team more balanced than what we saw last year. This team was not fundamentally sound at all. I mean, the Mets were doing their best Yankee impression at times of a team that clearly had no clue how to handle themselves defensively. Just a lack of fundamental baseball. And you need those fundamentals to have success as well as a star power to balance. That’s why the Dodgers are a prime example of all those things because they have not only elite talent both in the infield and the outfield, but they also have the bats to back up with it. Then you have like four to five aces in your rotation. That’s why they are now back-to-back World Series champions in order for the Mets to try to break that Dodger dynasty at all. They not only are going to need to do a culture shift, but they may need to make some really difficult decisions that they believe is best for the organization, even if the fan base completely disagrees. So, that’s what I have to say on that from everybody. Do not believe that it’s for certain that Allonzo will be walking, but all I’m telling you is be mentally prepared for anything that can happen this off seasonason because if there’s one thing that we’ve learned truly anything and everything is on the table right now for David Sterns, Steve Cohen, and the New York Mets. But going on now as you guys see Cody Ballinger and his fun highlights there. Let’s go on from talking about Belly to actually getting in a little bit more here on these other respective reporting because we have some more to get into that I’m going to expand on here in a second regarding both Munoaka Murakami and Kazuma Akamoto. And I’m really excited for this conversation because as much as we would hate to see the polar bear parted with, there are some consolation prizes. There are some guys out there that I think would really bode well potentially with the New York New York Mets as soon as next season. And as you guys can see here, let me pull this up just for one second. And we are going to expand on this probably in future content, but I did just want to make note of it. It is unfortunate. Matt Allen, the former top prospect for the New York Mets, who’s dealt with a plethora of ailments past couple years, finally got to the pro level this year, but was shut down after the first two months. He’s officially part of free agency. He’s no longer part of the Mets organization. I do not believe the Mets are going to bring him back, but anything can happen, I suppose. But Bryce Montes Dioka, who looked like a flamethrower reliever option a couple years ago that the Mets could utilize, but his elbow has been Swiss cheese since then. Unfortunately, there’s been just his mechanics are just way too aggressive. It is really hard to believe that Montes do is going to be able to find himself at the major league level again anytime soon. I hope he does, but it probably won’t be as a Met. Matt Allen, I’m wishing him all the best with his future endeavors. Terrible news, but unfortunately, this is what happens when you go how many years without even pitching in pro ball. Now that you did, you still were shut down only two months in the season after having slivers of success. You were looking solid in your buildup from St. Lucy to the Cyclones, but that was it. That was it. So, that is all I have to really say on that front. But now, folks, let’s talk about the following. Mark Veinand of Mo.com came out with a piece yesterday breaking down Munoaka Murakami being officially posted by his club there and the MPB. He is the most coveted bat that has been publicly out there that we know of to this point since show uh not what am I saying showy managa. Shut up Tyler since show Otani going back all those years ago when Billy up signed him to be a part of the Angels organization. Shout out Billy uh Billy big bucks. So knowing that Murakami has been this coveted talent because he had a 50 plus home run year a couple years ago. He’s been steady out of at least 30 plus home runs every single year in the MPB. He has been the home run king and the MPB. But he’s not alone in that regard. And not only are the Mets among teams reportedly targeting Munotaka Murakami now that he’s posting can begin negotiating with teams technically today that being November 8th for the next 45day period. He has a 45day window. That’s another factor to bear in mind with Makami. There’s a great reality that he signs a contract before, yes you guessed it, Pete Alonzo. And that also changes maybe the perception on how the Mets view Alonzo versus Murakami and their pursuits this offseason. if their heads were kind of tied with one guy only has a 45day window. So, he is going to sign as we know by the time we get to right around the winter meetings. Peter Lonzo may very well not sign until January or the end of December and that’ll be too little too late before Murakami lands somewhere. And for the Mets, Murakami is a first base DH profile through and through. He’s I think going to be more of a defensive liability at first base for you than Allonzo. So, I’m not sure how that would benefit the Mets in that regard. I think that would really not make sense for David Sterns, but for DH. solely DH that’s a different discussion and that is where Murakami I think is going to thrive best but we have that reporting that come out from Mark Feinand and we’re going to expand more on that here in a second and then we have other reporting that came out from John Barosce that we saw two to three days ago now on Okamoto who’s also from the MPB very exciting he’s been posted from the Giants will will be posted technically from the Giants and he’s the first player ever in MPB Giants history to be posted to the major league level and he’s spent the past decade with him. So, he’s very coveted. There’s a lot to love about him. And yes, the Mets were mentioned in that piece from John Barose as a team that will find themselves in the market for both of them. And we have already talked about these players to a degree on the platform. So, no one should be overly surprised by them, but if you haven’t checked out the previous content, they’ll enlighten you on both here. Okay? And here’s the following. This is what you guys need to know. This is what you need to know. This is the key stat of them all because we have, of course, Munitaka Murakami. Murkami that you guys can see right here, right now. Let’s pull them up for each and every one of you. Here is a Munitaka Murkami stats. Here’s what lies the problem. And these are Murkami stats from the last time I did the graphic. And they’re slightly off. If I missed a couple games, that’s just because I did this graphic a couple weeks ago at minimum. So, I apologize if this is not entirely accurate, but for the most part, it’s on the money. So, we know that Murakami is a home run game. He’s a champ there in the MPB that we know when looking at the home runs. But when you look at them side by side with Kazamakamoto, it’s night and day. It’s night and day. And in my opinion, probably the most important statistics that every team will be evaluating when looking to sign him. And that is handling velocity at 93 miles per hour or more. And in their respective careers, Akamoto has wiped the floor with Mur versus Murakami in this regard. and 289 played appearances. He has a 916 OPS, a 289 average, a 383 on base, and a 534 slug. Good for 57% above league average as a batter. That is Akamoto we’re talking about. To the right in the graphic to the left is Mudaka Murakami, and he’s horrendous. He’s batting a buck 88 in his career in VO, 93 and up. He does terrible with breaking balls, too, mind you. a 362 on base, a 400 slug, and right around 21% above league average as a batter. So, the fact that he’s 21% above league average when he came and bat the Mendoza line tells you how much of a great job he does on not only getting on base, but how he just literally tears the piss off of a baseball like hits the piss out of it, I should really say. That’s Munitaka Murakami. That’s why people love him. And that’s why David Sterns went out of his way to in fact scout Murkami going back to a mid August of this year that we broke down the platform because he wanted to see him in real time. How would he look? And Murakami promptly hit a walk-off bomb for his team there um in the swallows before uh David Sterns left that game. So Sterns saw in real time how lethal of a bat Makami is. But here’s what lies the problem with Murakami. It’s not just those numbers I relay to you. It’s also the fact that Murakami this season alone, this season alone is not even batting a 100 against velocity of 93 miles per hour and more. So, you’re telling me that this is a huge slugger with a lot of upside and that’s why people love Makami. It’s because of the tremendous upside. He’s only 25 years of age. So, there’s a lot that believes that even if he has a transition period at the major league level that they will be able to maximize him and hit a ceiling greater than what Okamoto will at the major league level. But for what they are currently, Akamoto is twice the player that Murakami is. And that is not an exaggeration. Murakami makes Mark Ventos look like a platinum glove at third base. I’m really not joking. He’s that bad at first base. He’s really not any better. He’s a guy that is a DH through and through. Tremendous lefty power. And I would love to see that power exemplified in this lap as a true DH. But Murakami, one, how much of an appetite does he even have to come to the East Coast? Because there’s already rumblings, per usual, that he’s more of a West Coast guy. And I’ll say that I do think that Murakami will not land with the LA Dodgers. I would be actually surprised if he lands with the Dodgers because of them bringing back Max Montium $10 million and because they really don’t have a fit for Murakami. Like he actually doesn’t make sense for them right now unless he just takes the deal because of obviously he’s going to get so much marketability in LA. They’re going to be able to continue to amplify the sponsors, the revenue from the market in Japan because the Dodgers dominate that entire market. So that could be more of a play as to why they would bring him in maybe than anything else immediately and to mold him into something special cuz maybe a year is being more of their on the bench guy learning from Maxy and others he can blossom. So it’s not out of the possibility that he lands with the Dodgers but I think a team like the Seattle Mariners are more positioned to land someone like him truthfully. I also think you know to a certain degree you have other teams out there like the San Francisco Giants but I see that fairly loosely. There are question marks as to where Makami may land. But the bigger question marks and the reason as to why Murakami I would love him, but I’m not losing sleep if the Mets don’t land him is because of what I just relayed each and everybody can’t defend to save his life. He’s huge swing and miss. And when I tell you he’s huge swing and miss, I’m not exaggerating. Look at the following everybody. Let’s also look at K percentage between the two at 93 miles per hour or more in their career. Ju just just look at the contrast. Murakami’s at 37.4% 4% K rate. Akamoto’s at 16.6 and currently Murakami is striking out right now at an absurd rate of 40 plus percent. Like this is a guy who may very well get to the major league level and strike out like half the time. Like Jose Siri bad. Like I’m not even exaggerating. That is how much concern there is with Murakami because of how drastic his splits are and the fact they can’t handle VO. And the fact they can’t handle VO is why I really am not losing sleep if the Mets don’t land him. I want Akamoto. This is where there’s a completely different discussion. Kosma Akamoto is the man that the Mets should be doing everything in their power this offseason to land as not only is he anticipated to get a three-year contract of like tops $50 million and that of course includes a lot more millions that the Mets would have to pay as fees to his club there in the MPB for being posted but 50 mil over a three-year contract who’s complaining about that and what you’re getting Nakamoto because let me enlighten you guys as to who Kosmato is in case you are all unaware and this is a guy that I really really like. He’s honestly one of my favorite free agent profiles out there in this this year’s market. He’s older. He’s 29 entering his age three season, but it doesn’t matter. Aamoto is praised as a gem defensively, both at first base and third base. He’s someone who the Mets could bring in right away as their Pete Alonzo replacement at first and would shore up both offense and def. Yes, of course, the offense wouldn’t maybe peak as much as it would with Alonzo as your home run cane there. However, Aamoto would bring power and a balance at that position. And the same thing goes with his stats as well. If they’re slightly off, that’s just because of from the last time I did the graphic, which was around, you know, a week and a half, two weeks ago when I talked about Okamoto last year on the platform. But he has been raved for his defensive upside like significantly. And literally while his 13.9 UZR in 2020 obviously won’t be replicated, he had a U-R over four at third these past two years, he was the second best defender at third in 2025 in the MPB. That’s a massive deal. So Aamoto could come in and be your third base option right away. It would allow Brett Batty to either transition more to second base to allow a Jet Lawy to be traded or you can trade Brett Batty in the world where you wanted to go down that route and try to maximize his return and say a blockbuster trade for Aar Scoble among others. So there’s a lot more potential that would be have with Aamoto because he gives you options. He gives you a guy that could play first base, can play third base. He can also vary from those positions game by game depending on how you would construct your offense. And that is also another thing that I think David Str is very enticed by the potential of. And what I love about Akamoto is not only does this man dominate against velocity in ways that Munataka Murakami simply doesn’t. He’s a multi-time version of their gold glove there that we have seen, not platinum glove in the MPB. But he has literally been the most balanced hitter in the MPB for the past north of a decade. He is bar none a better overall player than Monutaka Murakami. And the only reason why we haven’t really talked about him until this offseason is because Murakami’s had all the hype with his big flashy home runs. Wakamoto has quietly been the most consistent player in all the MPB. And that really is not an exaggeration. And he was the captain for his Giants as you guys see there too. So he clearly knows a thing or two about leadership. And his swing kind of similar to David Wright. And I’m really not just saying that because I’m a Mets fan. Look at the side by side. There are similarities between his swing and right. It’s fitting that he’s more of a third base profile than anything else. So Aamoto, who’s been unbelievably clutch for the Giants, has put up very good numbers every single year. This guy’s a lock to basically give you right around 25 to 35 home runs at the MPB level. He’s dominating the strike zone. Again, going back to the last time I did this graphic, 327 average, 416 on base, 598 slug, over 100% better than the average batter in baseball and the MPB throughout 69 games this season. What is there not to like about Cosmoto? The only thing that maybe you don’t love is that he’s entering his age 30 season, but the Mets can really take advantage of that win now stage with his value right now as the team itself is in a win now stage. What Juan Stoodto, what Francisco Endor, with Brandon Nemo and everyone else in company, you’re trying to win now if you’re the Mets and Okamoto does not hurt your long-term vision at all. He is a nice kind of mid option for you for the next couple years to see they’re at third and or first base. So when you look at Bellinger, when you look at Okamoto, there are guys out there that actually check off a lot of boxes that would be feasible for the Mets should they look for replacements for All Lonzo. But they just need to make sure they do it smartly and that they bring the great clubhouse character with them. You have to make sure that if you’re going to allow a home run Kane like Allonzo to leave, knowing how much he’s meant to the organization, knowing how much he’s vital to the fan base, and we all know the fans are going to be livid if Allonzo walks. And I will be part of that. Absolutely. How can you not be? But the point is, you lessen the blow if you properly allocate in all these other respective areas. I firmly believe the Mets will do that if Allonzo walks. And Okamoto has to be a top priority for them. Should that be the case, I think you should be a priority regardless as to if you bring Alonzo back because I really think that he is a guy that I would love at third base right now over Brett Batty next season. This is not a slit on Batty, but more so in a certainty in what you’re getting Nakamoto. Yes, you have some level of concerns with how a player transitions from the MPB to the major to MLB. That is true, but everything is telling me that Aamoto is going to transition smoothly and he’s someone who’s been around the game so long now that I think that this is going to be seamless fit for a team like the New York Mets as long as they have proper interest and they do as we currently know. So, when looking at these two, I want to ask each and every one of you guys in the comments down below between Muna Taka Murakami and Kazamakamoto, which one do you think is a better fit for this New York Mets team? If you’re looking for defense, if you’re looking for balance, if you’re looking for someone who’s been more consistent with their power and their offense year in and year out, look no further than the most well-rounded option coming out and coming out of the MPB since Show Otani, and that’s Kazumakamoto. Yes, that is correct. Kazma Akamoto is a more polished, a more balanced player since Otani than what Munutaka Murkami has been at this point. Murakami is a huge slugger from the left side. That would be a great th profile who’s still going to strike out probably at least 40% of the time. Okamoto doesn’t strike out at all. Pales in comparison. The guy dominates the strike zone. He grinds out his at bats and he is an elite defender. I don’t really think I need to say anything else to sell you guys on how good Okamoto is, but and now it’s just a matter of can the Mets actually land him. They have all the money in the world to make make sure that they can land him, but they have to actually go ahead and do it. And because Aamoto is not as coveted as Munoaka Murakami, because Murakami has a higher ceiling than Aamoto, even though he has a much lower floor, you could say, because of that reason, there’s going to be a lot of teams that probably are going to be in the market for Aamoto. He’s going to check off the box for many teams looking for a guy that can come in to help them as a contender for playoffs and for World Series championships right here, right now. And we cannot write off the Dodgers is a possibility either because listen, Okamoto would make sense actually for the Dodgers because he’s a far more I think he would be a more proficient third base option for them than Muny. They can have Munzy be more their DH platoon type as an option and have Okamoto just handle third moving forward for the next couple years. Like that actually could happen and I pray it doesn’t. And I really do hope that the Mets do everything in their power to try to land the coveted MPB star. So Mets fans, that is going to do it for our breakdown today. When looking at VO, and mind you, um, almost every pitcher in MLB throws beyond 93 miles per hour. It feels like Munitaka Murkami is going to get smacked with reality, which is a huge, oh my god, transition stage. He’s dominated against soft tossing schmucks in the MPB’s entire career. Akamoto has feasted on velocity, feasted on VO in ways that Munak Murakami simply cannot comprehend. So, thank you for coming to my TED talk. Thank you for coming to our roughly 40minute breakdown covering all things Mets today. But I assure you there was good reason for it. So, thank you guys again. Let me know all your thoughts on the poorbear and if you believe he’s in fact going to walk, Chev McNeel, Cody Bellinger, Cosmakamoto, Munoaka Murakami, and everything else in Mets land. Thank you guys again and as always, no matter what, let’s go Mets. Peace out.

New to the channel? Hit that subscribe and like button if you enjoyed this kind of Mets content!
Helps us reach our next subscriber goal of 36K!

Get the world’s comfiest sleep mask at https://mantasleep.com/wardy (use code WARDY)

Use my code for 10% off your next SeatGeek order*: https://seatgeek.onelink.me/RrnK/WARDY10 Sponsored by SeatGeek. *Restrictions apply. Max $20 discount

Pat Ragazzo’s Article: https://x.com/ragazzoreport/status/1987181666272416098?s=46&t=AycbKc4NmshvRfAf1qPmfQ

Join Wardy’s LIVE Mets Watch Parties on Playback: https://www.playback.tv/wardynym

Subscribe to WardyMLB: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCuBxLmrUWQXncET4eaJTZDg/community?pvf=CAI%253D

Become a Member here at WardyNYM to get EXCLUSIVE perks:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCaX-QGxVlF7QXKzHwWAQcdQ/joi

Email: drawt7@protonmail.com

Sponsorship inquires, please contact:
bnazari@hogmedia.co

Donate to Wardy on Venmo: https://account.venmo.com/u/wardyNYM

Please feel free to send Mets memorabilia to my PO Box below if you’d like to see it presented/worn in future videos! 😄👇🏼

Tyler Ward
PO Box 164
East Texas, Pennsylvania 18046-0164
United States

(Preferably size medium for shirts!)

#NewYorkMets #MetsNews #MLB