NEW YORK — Power-hitting Japanese corner infielder Munetaka Murakami is entering Major League Baseball’s posting system and will be available to teams to sign as a free agent from Saturday through Dec. 22.
Murakami, who turns 26 on Feb. 2, was the Central League’s MVP in 2021 and ’22 with the Yakult Swallows and is a four-time All-Star.
He batted .273 with 22 homers and 47 RBIs this season, limited to 56 games by an oblique injury. He struck out 64 times.
Murakami hit 56 homers in 2022 to break Sadaharu Oh’s record for a Japanese-born player in Nippon Professional Baseball while becoming the youngest player to earn Japan’s Triple Crown. He topped 30 homers in four straight years before an injury-interrupted season in 2023.
He has a .270 career average with 246 homers, 647 RBIs and 977 strikeouts in 892 games over eight Central League seasons, all with the Swallows.
After playing primarily at first base in 2019 and 2020, he has spent most of his time since at third.
At the 2023 World Baseball Classic, Murakami hit a ninth-inning walk-off double off Giovanny Gallegos that scored Shohei Ohtani and Masataka Yoshida to give Japan a 6-5 semifinal win over Mexico. The following day in the championship game, Murakami hit a tying home run off Merrill Kelly in the second inning and Japan went on to beat the United States 3-2.
Under the agreement between MLB and NPB, the posting fee will be 20% of the first $25 million of a major league contract, including earned bonuses and options. The percentage drops to 17.5% of the next $25 million and 15% of any amount over $50 million. There would be a supplemental fee of 15% of any earned bonuses, salary escalators and exercised options.
Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Alex Vesia and his wife Kayla shared a heartbreaking message Friday about the death of their baby daughter.
In a joint Instagram post, the couple said their daughter, Sterling Sol Vesia, died Oct. 26. The 29-year-old relief pitcher was not on the Dodgers’ World Series roster for what the team described as a leave of absence for a personal matter.
“Our little angel we love you forever & you’re with us always,” the post caption read. “Our beautiful daughter went to heaven Sunday October 26th. There are no words to describe the pain we’re going through but we hold her in our hearts and cherish every second we had with her.
“Thank you to the Dodgers for their understanding and support during this time. Our baseball family showed up for us and we wouldn’t be able to do this without them. Thank you Dodger Nation, Blue Jays organization and all baseball fans for your love and support. We have seen ALL your messages, comments and posts. It’s brought us so much comfort.
“Lastly, we’d like to thank Cedars Sinai and all the medical staff who helped Kayla and Sterling. Every person we came across was truly so incredible.”
The post did not mention a cause of death.
The couple announced in April that they were expecting a baby.
In an Instagram post Oct. 23, the Dodgers said, “It’s with a heavy heart that we share that Alex Vesia is away from the team as he and his wife Kayla navigate a deeply personal family matter. The entire Dodgers organization is sending our thoughts to the Vesia family, and we will provide an update at a later date.”
“I think it really speaks tot he brotherhood of athletes, of MLB players,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said about the Game 3 tribute. “For these guys to recognize Alex and what he and Kayla have gone through, heartbreaking is not even a good enough descriptor.”
Born in Alpine, California, Vesia was drafted by the Miami Marlins in 2018 and made his big league debut in July 2020. He joined the Dodgers in 2021 and posted a 4-2 record this past season with a 3.02 ERA in 68 appearances.
The Dodgers recently exercised the 2026 contract option of Vesia, who will receive a $3.55 million salary rather than a $50,000 buyout. If the Dodgers had declined, he would have been eligible for arbitration.
Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Alex Vesia and his wife Kayla shared a heartbreaking message Friday about the death of their baby daughter.
In a joint Instagram post, the couple said their daughter, Sterling Sol Vesia, died Oct. 26. The 29-year-old relief pitcher was not on the Dodgers’ World Series roster for what the team described as a leave of absence for a personal matter.
“Our little angel we love you forever & you’re with us always,” the post caption read. “Our beautiful daughter went to heaven Sunday October 26th. There are no words to describe the pain we’re going through but we hold her in our hearts and cherish every second we had with her.
“Thank you to the Dodgers for their understanding and support during this time. Our baseball family showed up for us and we wouldn’t be able to do this without them. Thank you Dodger Nation, Blue Jays organization and all baseball fans for your love and support. We have seen ALL your messages, comments and posts. It’s brought us so much comfort.
“Lastly, we’d like to thank Cedars Sinai and all the medical staff who helped Kayla and Sterling. Every person we came across was truly so incredible.”
The post did not mention a cause of death.
The couple announced in April that they were expecting a baby.
In an Instagram post Oct. 23, the Dodgers said, “It’s with a heavy heart that we share that Alex Vesia is away from the team as he and his wife Kayla navigate a deeply personal family matter. The entire Dodgers organization is sending our thoughts to the Vesia family, and we will provide an update at a later date.”
“I think it really speaks tot he brotherhood of athletes, of MLB players,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said about the Game 3 tribute. “For these guys to recognize Alex and what he and Kayla have gone through, heartbreaking is not even a good enough descriptor.”
Born in Alpine, California, Vesia was drafted by the Miami Marlins in 2018 and made his big league debut in July 2020. He joined the Dodgers in 2021 and posted a 4-2 record this past season with a 3.02 ERA in 68 appearances.
The Dodgers recently exercised the 2026 contract option of Vesia, who will receive a $3.55 million salary rather than a $50,000 buyout. If the Dodgers had declined, he would have been eligible for arbitration.
Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Alex Vesia and his wife Kayla shared a heartbreaking message Friday about the death of their baby daughter.
In a joint Instagram post, the couple said their daughter, Sterling Sol Vesia, died Oct. 26. The 29-year-old relief pitcher was not on the Dodgers’ World Series roster for what the team described as a leave of absence for a personal matter.
“Our little angel we love you forever & you’re with us always,” the post caption read. “Our beautiful daughter went to heaven Sunday October 26th. There are no words to describe the pain we’re going through but we hold her in our hearts and cherish every second we had with her.
“Thank you to the Dodgers for their understanding and support during this time. Our baseball family showed up for us and we wouldn’t be able to do this without them. Thank you Dodger Nation, Blue Jays organization and all baseball fans for your love and support. We have seen ALL your messages, comments and posts. It’s brought us so much comfort.
“Lastly, we’d like to thank Cedars Sinai and all the medical staff who helped Kayla and Sterling. Every person we came across was truly so incredible.”
The post did not mention a cause of death.
The couple announced in April that they were expecting a baby.
In an Instagram post Oct. 23, the Dodgers said, “It’s with a heavy heart that we share that Alex Vesia is away from the team as he and his wife Kayla navigate a deeply personal family matter. The entire Dodgers organization is sending our thoughts to the Vesia family, and we will provide an update at a later date.”
“I think it really speaks tot he brotherhood of athletes, of MLB players,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said about the Game 3 tribute. “For these guys to recognize Alex and what he and Kayla have gone through, heartbreaking is not even a good enough descriptor.”
Born in Alpine, California, Vesia was drafted by the Miami Marlins in 2018 and made his big league debut in July 2020. He joined the Dodgers in 2021 and posted a 4-2 record this past season with a 3.02 ERA in 68 appearances.
The Dodgers recently exercised the 2026 contract option of Vesia, who will receive a $3.55 million salary rather than a $50,000 buyout. If the Dodgers had declined, he would have been eligible for arbitration.
Slugging Japanese first baseman/third baseman Munetaka Murakami will be posted by the Yakult Swallows on Friday, per multiple reports.
Murakami's negotiating window for MLB clubs will open on Saturday, meaning he has until Dec. 22 to sign.
Murakami has been a star for the Swallows over the past eight seasons, taking home a pair of MVP awards while popping 246 home runs, 165 doubles, and 681 RBI.
Twenty-two of those long balls came in an injury-riddled campaign this past season.
His biggest power display came in 2022, when he hit 56 homers and drove in 134 runs.
The 25-year-old mainly plays the hot corner, but he’s also spent time at first base and DH.
For the Mets, Murakami presents an intriguing option for David Stearns to consider if slugger Pete Alonso were to leave in free agency after opting out of his deal with the club.
The Yankees, on the other hand, aren’t exactly a smooth fit at the moment, but Murakami's powerful swing from the left side certainly would be well suited for the short porch in the Bronx.
The Mets have the longest history of any team in MLB when it comes to adding players from Japan. Whether that is most recently with Kodai Senga or dating back when they made a splash, at the time, in signing Kaz Matsui. In between, they have been stops for names like Hideo Nomo and Daisuke Matsuzaka, among others.
They have been unable, however, to land someone who is considered the "generational" type of player, as they leave Nippon Professional Baseball for MLB. I am talking about the Ichiro Suzuki, Hideki Matsui, Shohei Ohtani,and Yoshinobu Yamamoto types.
The next potential Japanese star is going to be posted this winter by his NPB team, the Yakult Swallows. That player is 25-year-old third baseman/first baseman Munetaka Murakami.
While not projecting that Murakami is by any means a lock to end up with the types of careers some of the above players had, Murakami will be considered the biggest offensive player to come over from Japan since Ohtani in 2018.
He had an all-time season in 2022. At just 22 years old, Murakami slashed .318/.458/.710 and set the NPB single-season home run record when he hit 56 home runs, passing the legendary Sadaharu Oh.
Projections on a potential contract for Murakami are wide-ranging for various reasons. It would be surprising if the contract wasn’t in the range of six-to-seven years and $100 million or more.
Here are the pros and cons of signing Murakami…
PROS
One thing the Mets were lacking in 2025 was an additional thumper in the lineup. Once opposing teams got past Francisco Lindor, Juan Soto and Pete Alonso, there wasn’t that same level of threat. Mark Vientos did not repeat his 2024 season, and Brandon Nimmo had a perfectly good 2025 campaign, but he isn’t the best fit as a cleanup hitter on a team looking to win a championship.
A slugger like Murakami could have fit perfectly in that spot. Alonso's Mets future is up in the air, but whether he is here or not, the Mets could use another power hitter in the lineup.
In 2025, Murakami missed a lot of time due to an oblique injury. When he returned, he hit .286/.392/.659 with 24 home runs in 69 games. One of those 24 home runs was a walk-off shot that happened to have Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns in attendance.
Mar 21, 2023; Miami, Florida, USA; Japan third baseman Munetaka Murakami (55) celebrates home run against the USA in the second inning at LoanDepot Park. / Rhona Wise - Imagn Images
Murakami has a power grade of at least 70 with elite bat speed that should easily project 30-plus home runs, if not closer to 40. His bat speed and exit velocity numbers all project to be in the class with some of the best in those metrics in MLB. He accompanies his power with the ability to get on base, with a career .394 on-base percentage in Japan.
From a defensive profile, he projects more as a first base/designated hitter type despite playing a lot of third base in Japan. If the Mets were looking for a power-hitting first baseman type to potentially replace Alonso, Murakami might be the closest one-for-one replacement that they could do.
When it comes to signing long-term contracts, Stearns has so far preferred to reserve that for younger players. The Mets, of course, signed Juan Soto last offseason at 25, and in his first year here, they made a substantial push for the then-25-year-old Yamamoto. The 25-year-old Murakami would fit his mold.
CONS
Murakami does possess some elite traits offensively, but there are some concerning red flags in his profile, specifically in the swing-and-miss category.
His in-zone contact rate, which is a baseline barometer of bat-to-ball skills of 73 percent, ranked near the bottom among qualified players in NPB over the last three years. For comparison’s sake, the MLB average for in-zone contact rate in 2025 was nearly 83 percent.
Murakami’s general strikeout rate over the past three seasons in NPB was all in the 28-29 percent range. The concern is that, in general, expectations are for strikeout rates to rise in the transition from NPB to MLB.
He has also struggled against high-end velocity (considered greater than 93 mph for this metric) over the last couple of years. The average MLB fastball in 2025 was 94.4 mph.
Murakami projects best defensively at first base, but even at that spot, he is not projected to be any better than average, if that.
Japan third baseman Munetaka Murakami (55) plays his position during the sixth inning against the USA at LoanDepot Park / Sam Navarro-Imagn Images
VERDICT
Murakami fits the mold of a high-risk, high-reward player with a wide range of potential outcomes. The question that teams like the Mets will have to ask is if the power and on-base skills simply outweigh the swing-and-miss issues.
The reality is that most high-end home run hitters do strike out a lot. Seven of the top 11 leaders in home runs in MLB in 2025 had strikeout rates north of 25 percent. If Murakami is going to crack that range for home runs, then his strikeout rate would be high, but likely not unreasonably so.
At 25 years old, he is still young enough to get into an MLB hitting program and improve his mechanics and plan at the plate to help mitigate some of the flaws.
I personally do not look at Murakami as a potential Alonso replacement. If the Mets were to seriously pursue Murakami, it should be in addition to trying to retain Alonso. That would create a top four of a lineup that could be as impactful as any in baseball.
The best path might be Murakami spending a lot of time at designated hitter and playing first base and third base when necessary.
If the cost on a contract can stay in the range that is typical for Japanese hitters coming over to MLB in recent years, usually in the range of $18-20 million per season, the Mets should be in on a pursuit of a hitter that you can just see hitting balls to the back of the Coca Cola corner.
The Phillies’ outfield enters the winter with more uncertainty than any other position group.
In 2025, the results simply weren’t there. Phillies outfielders combined for a .712 OPS (18th in MLB), a 7.8% walk rate (22nd), and 219 RBIs (24th). They stole 29 bases, tied for the fourth-fewest in baseball. The group struggled to generate impact at the plate and rarely changed games with speed.
The front office is expected to explore ways to add power, inject more athleticism and balance a lineup that leaned too heavily on its top-three hitters.
As of right now, who will return in 2026?
LF/CF Brandon Marsh
Credit: Bill Streicher – Imagn Images
Marsh was the most stable everyday outfielder the Phillies had.
He hit .280/.342/.443 with a .785 OPS, bouncing between left and center while offering better-than-average defense at both spots. He was at his best against right-handed pitching, where he hit .300 with a .838 OPS, nine home runs and 33 RBIs.
Marsh isn’t going anywhere. His role may shift depending on what else changes around him, but his roster spot is secure.
RF Nick Castellanos
Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea – Imagn Images
Castellanos struggled in 2025.
He drove in 72 runs, but his .694 OPS and .294 on-base percentage led to an 88 OPS+, which is 12 percent lower than the average hitter. The defensive limitations became more pronounced, finishing in the 1st percentile in Outs Above Average, reflecting limited range at 33 years old.
With one year left on his five-year, $100 million contract, Castellanos is expected to remain in trade conversations throughout the offseason and there’s a chance he gets designated for assignment.
UTIL/LF Otto Kemp
Credit: Bill Streicher – Imagn Images
Kemp’s season played out in two chapters.
Called up in early June, the rookie hit .228 over his first 46 games before returning to Triple-A Lehigh Valley. When he came back in September, the adjustments showed. Over his final 16 games, he posted an .856 OPS with eight extra-base hits.
Phillies skipper Thomson sees real upside, saying, “I like him being an everyday player.”
An infielder by trade, Kemp got some run in left field — including a start in the NLDS — and showed his effectiveness against left-handed pitching, producing a .786 OPS in 74 at-bats. That platoon potential could pair with Marsh, though Alec Bohm’s future at third base could ultimately influence Kemp’s role.
CF Johan Rojas
Credit: Brett Davis – Imagn Images
Rojas remains one of the easiest players on the roster to summarize.
His defense changes games and the speed is elite — 99th percentile sprint speed. The offense is still lacking. He hit .224/.280/.289 in 2025 and never established consistent timing at the plate.
His glove and range keep him in the picture as a likely candidate to make the roster, but his path to everyday at-bats will depend on how he fares offensively.
A pair of prospects on the horizon?
Justin Crawford
Credit: Kim Klement Neitzel – Imagn Images
Crawford keeps hitting, everywhere.
He’s not a power hitter, but he controls at-bats, reaches base and pressures defenses with his legs. Few hitters in the organization offer that combination. If anyone can force an Opening Day outfield job internally, it’s Crawford.
At Triple-A in 2025, he hit .334 with a .411 OBP and stole 46 bases. Since entering pro ball, he owns a .322 average across 325 minor league games.
He can also hit to all fields. Per Prospect Savant, Crawford pulled the ball 29.2 percent of the time and went the other way 36.5 percent. That approach plays in the big leagues.
Gabriel Rincones Jr.
Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck – Imagn Images
Rincones provides the power counterpoint to Crawford.
At Triple-A, he hit a career-high 18 home runs, logged 41 extra-base hits, and drew 80 walks, finishing with a .370 OBP in his most complete pro season.
President Dave Dombrowski pointed out the 24-year-old as a prospect to keep an eye on, “I really like Gabriel Rincones, who’s got a lot of pop in his bat and really hits right-handed pitching even better.”
A left-handed bat with power and patience will draw trade interest by default. Whether he fits the 2026 Phillies or becomes part of a larger transaction will depend on how aggressively the club looks to reshape the outfield.
An idea
Credit: Kyle Ross – USA TODAY Sports
Last summer, when the Phillies were exploring third-base help and checked in on Eugenio Suárez, one scenario gained traction: Bryce Harper moving back to right field.
It never happened — Harper stayed at first — but with Pete Alonso on the free-agent market and Houston’s Christian Walker potentially available via trade, the idea could surface again if the Phillies want more lineup balance during this championship window.
Targets via trade or free agency
Harrison Bader remains a logical reunion candidate. Max Kepler, also a free agent, is unlikely to return. And the thought of external options comes to mind.
Steven Kwan — a four-time Gold Glove award winner and a two-time All-Star — would give the Phillies an established leadoff hitter and elite left field defense. But after hitting .272 with a .705 OPS in 2025 — down from .292 and .793 in 2024 — and with club control through 2028, the cost would be significant. If Philadelphia believes Crawford can supply similar contact skills, the fit may be less necessary than it once looked.
Credit: Ken Blaze – Imagn Images
The White Sox exercised Luis Robert Jr.’s $20 million option, but given where that organization is right now, he could still be a trade candidate. Injuries limited him in 2025, but in the final six weeks he hit .298/.352/.456 in 31 games — closer to the version that finished second in AL MVP voting in 2023.
A winter trade feels unlikely, but if Chicago leans into a reset, he fits better as a mid-season or deadline move than a November one.
Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski – Imagn Images
Philadelphia has also been linked to Jo Adell and Taylor Ward, two right-handed power bats. Randy Arozarena could fit that same mold if Seattle is open to moving him.
At the top of the free agent market, talented outfielders Kyle Tucker, Cody Bellinger and Trent Grisham all hit from the left side. If the Phillies bring back Kyle Schwarber, committing premium dollars to another left-handed hitter may limit the lineup’s flexibility.
The outlook
The Phillies don’t have a set outfield for 2026.
Some answers could come from within. Others will likely require a trade or a meaningful free agent addition. However it unfolds, the 2026 outfield is unlikely to look — or perform — like the 2025 version.
As we enter MLB free agency and what should be a busy offseason, there are guaranteed to be some surprises. Baseball America threw out the first eyebrow-raising moment for Phillies fans today. The publication released its latest ranking of the top ten prospects for all 30 MLB teams, and there is a new player at the top of the list.
It is not starting pitcher Andrew Painter, as it was last year, and the year before that.
It is shortstop Aidan Miller, the team’s 2023 1st-round draft pick, riding the wave of a strong 2025 season at the plate, and on the basepaths.
Baseball America writer Josh Norris was a guest on The Phillies Show podcast. He drew up the rankings, and this isn’t a hot take. He does exhaustive research on the players and teams he covers, and interviews many people throughout front offices and developmental departments within MLB franchises.
The reason for the shake-up is largely because Painter was shelved following Tommy John surgery, and between his injury in 2022 and the start of 2025, he really only pitched 15 innings in the 2024 Arizona Fall League.
“[2025] certainly wasn’t a bad year, it was a great year for a guy just coming off Tommy John surgery,” Norris said of Painter, who pitched to a 5-6 record and a 5.40 ERA in 22 starts for the AAA Iron Pigs.
Despite dropping Painter to No. 2, Norris remains high on the righty flame-thrower.
“I’m Andrew Painter’s number-1 fan, outside of the Painter household,” Norris joked. “I put it all out there and said the young man is gonna be a Hall of Famer based on what I’ve seen.”
“I’ve seen a ton of pitching prospects in my life. I mean, I’ve seen just about all of them. He was up there. I remember leaving the park [after watching Painter pitch] saying I’ve only felt this way three times.”
The other two pitchers? Former Nationals All-Star Stephen Strasburg, who was among the best in the game before injuries curtailed his career, and the late Jose Fernandez, who won Rookie of the Year for the Marlins in 2013 and made two All-Star teams before tragically losing his life at 24.
As for Miller’s rise to the top? “There were a lot of questions on whether he could stick at shortstop,” Norris said. “Right now, the only question on whether he could stick at shortstop [with the Phillies] is Trea Turner.”
“He’s a shortstop. He’s become more athletic, more explosive, his arm has gotten better, [baseball insiders] in and out of the organization, people say ‘this is probably a really good, above-average major league shortstop right now.’”
Miller played nearly all of 2025 at double-A Reading. He struggled through the first half of the season, and on July 31st was hitting .222 with a .696 OPS.
But he finished strong. Over his final 36 games – which included eight at triple-A Lehigh Valley – Miller hit .356 with an OPS of 1.099, more walks (31) than strikeouts (29), and 39 runs scored.
He also led the entire organization with 52 stolen bases, a number that belies his “run tool grade” from scouts. MLB scouts grade players on a 20-to-80 scale, and gave Miller a 50 for his speed, slightly above average. These grades aren’t etched in stone, but this can show a bit of the difference subjectivity plays in scouting, and perhaps, that Miller has base-running instincts that you can’t get from a 60-yard dash time.
Here is Norris’ full Top 10 list of Phillies prospects:
Dodgers catcher Will Smith greets a customer at a Raising Cane's promotional event on Wednesday morning. Smith hit .267 in the World Series and hit the game-winning home run in Game 7. (Carlin Stiehl / For The Times)
A block away from the Hollywood Walk of Fame on Wednesday morning, a once-overlooked Dodgers star embraced his own newfound notoriety.
Four days after slugging the game-winning home run in Game 7 of the World Series, Will Smith was serenaded by hundreds of fans at a Raising Cane’s promotional event at the intersection of Sunset and Highland, taking a makeshift stage to chants of “We want Will!” from a crowd of Dodgers faithful forever indebted to his championship-clinching swing.
“To feel the love from all the fans, it’s just cool,” Smith said. “It’s fun celebrating with these people, to see what the Dodgers mean to them.”
For years, Smith has largely felt that love from the shadows of the Dodgers’ star-studded roster — a three-time All-Star, a generational talent at his position, but also an outshined member of the team’s big-name core.
That officially changed this week, after he hit the first game-winning, extra-inning home run in the seventh game of a Fall Classic.
His name has now joined the realm of October legends. His place in Dodger history, elevated to virtually immortal status.
“That’s crazy,” Smith said, when informed Wednesday of the history his 11th-inning swing made. “I never would have thought that [would happen]. But yeah, just glad I was able to get it done for the guys, and for the city … The passion that these fans have, that’s what motivates me most.”
That kind of answer, of course, exemplifies Smith’s default mode. Quiet and reserved by nature. Averse to the public spotlight. Happy to simply show up at the ballpark, handle his taxing job as the starting catcher on baseball’s best team, and sidestep the attention a player of his talent would typically command.
Dodgers fans wait to see catcher Will Smith at a Raising Cane's promotional event on Wednesday. (Carlin Stiehl / For The Times)
Such had been the reality of Smith’s existence with these Dodgers. Sharing a clubhouse with Shohei Ohtani, Mookie Betts, Freddie Freeman and Clayton Kershaw, it’s been easy for him to blend into the background for much of his seven-year career.
But then, last Saturday night, Shane Bieber hung him a slider in a tied game with a World Series on the line. Smith put a thunderous swing on it, pleading for the ball to clear the fence. And once it did, his standing in the sport had instantly been altered. The Dodgers cemented a dynasty. He was the face of one of its most defining moments.
“Yes and no,” Smith said when asked if it felt like his life had changed this week. “That’s a moment that will always be special. A very positive memory. In the first couple [World Series], had some big hits and stuff. But the game-winner is cool. So hopefully next year, going for a three-peat, we do something similar.”
Nothing, of course, will be as transformational as this past week was for the 30-year-old backstop.
Had it not been for the heroic efforts of Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Smith very easily could have won World Series MVP, having led the Dodgers with six RBIs, trailed only Ohtani with a .267 average, and caught all 74 innings of the marathon series in another Fall Classic record.
He wasn’t coaxed into speaking at the team’s championship parade, but still received some of the day’s loudest ovations, the fan base recognizing the herculean contributions he provided both at and behind the plate.
“He was the silent assassin,” Freeman said.
“He’s an absolute animal,” third baseman Max Muncy echoed.
Smith did show some of his dry humor during a Tuesday night appearance on “Jimmy Kimmel Live!”, reeling off a few laugh lines alongside manager Dave Roberts and a few other teammates.
Then, on Wednesday morning, he got his hero’s welcome at the Raising Cane’s event, with fans lining up along Sunset two hours before his appearance with signs and posters ready in hand.
“It’s felt like a dream,” Smith said.
One he won’t be waking up from anytime soon.
Moving forward, Smith figures to be at the center of the team’s future success, having signed a 10-year, $140 million contract extension with the Dodgers in March 2024.
“This is pretty much home now for us,” the Louisville native and father of two said. “We love it here.”
From left, Dodgers outfielder Teoscar Hernández, Mark Walter, owner and chairman of the Dodgers and Lakers, Magic Johnson, former Lakers star and part-owner of the Dodgers, pitcher Tyler Glasnow, catcher Will Smith, pitcher Blake Snell, shortstop Mookie Betts, outfielder Alex Call and pitcher Evan Phillips are celebrated for their World Series championship at the Lakers game Wednesday night. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
As one of the younger members of the club’s All-Star core, his importance to the lineup will also continue to grow, with Smith trying to build off a 2025 campaign in which he set full-season career-highs in batting average (.296) and OPS (.901) despite missing most of September, and the first week of the playoffs, with a broken hand.
“To me, he kind of epitomizes a lot of the success that we've had looking back, in terms of our scouting process, our player development process, how well they work together, and then him coming through and having the impact he's had at the Major League level,” president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman said of Smith, who was originally a first-round draft pick of the team in 2016.
“Make no mistake, there's going to be a lot of those moments for him,” Muncy added. “He’s going to be here for a long time. I’m exciting to see what he’s going to do for this organization.”
And to think, how disastrously different this week could have been if not for the other key play Smith made in Game 7, getting his toe back on home plate after it had popped off as he went to catch a throw from Miguel Rojas with the bases loaded in bottom of the ninth inning.
“I still don’t like seeing it,” Smith joked as the video of that moment replayed on Kimmel. “They were replaying it [in the stadium], and I was like, ‘Oh crap, this is not good. We’re gonna lose right here because I can’t hold home plate with my foot.’”
“That,” Smith added as Kimmel pondered the alternative reality, “would’ve stung.”
Instead, two innings later, Smith delivered a swing that will change his legacy forever — thrusting him onto a pedestal both overdue and long-warranted.
“For me, I’ve always tried not to do too much,” he said. “Just happened to get it in the air, get it over the wall.”
Another modest answer, from a player unlikely to go overlooked again.
Rangers were kind of outclassed by Roma, which top end of the Serie A is to be expected, but I just felt they had a couple of gears to go.
This little period is difficult. I think getting through the game at the weekend, it gives them that international break.
I think the recruitment has been done. Danny Rohl has to make the best he can out of what they've got at the moment. And it's about getting to January in the best condition he can.
If Dundee can turn up [on Sunday], play their stuff on the big occasion like they have done when it's been on the telly before, then Rangers will be in for a game.
And it's not ideal for Rangers coming off the back of Thursday. I think Rangers will probably just have enough, but I would definitely have thought Celtic would have had enough.
Rangers have lost seven consecutive European games (including qualifiers) for the first time in their history. The Ibrox side have lost 10 European games in 2025, only the fourth time a team has ever done so in one year and one of the other three was Rangers in 2022 (10); the others are Sheriff Tiraspol in 2023 and Qarabag in 2024.
Rangers have lost their past five games in the Europa League, their longest losing streak in the competition (since at least 2005/2006).
Danny Rohl has become the first permanent Rangers boss to lose as many as three of his first five games in charge (W2).
Rangers have kept a clean sheet in just five of their 23 matches in all competitions, their lowest percentage (22%) of games with a shutout in a season since 1957-58 (11 in 54, 20%).
James Tavernier made his 61st Europa League appearance for Rangers, equalling the record for a single club (2009-10 onwards); he draws level with Andreas Ulmer's 61 games for RB Salzburg.
Rangers have failed to score in three of their four games, no team has failed to do so more often in the 2025-2026 Europa League.
Rangers have conceded the opening goal in five consecutive major European matches for the first time since doing so between September 1962 and October 1963.
The 2025 National League Silver Slugger Awards were announced on Thursday night, and both Juan Soto and Pete Alonso came away victorious.
Francisco Lindor, the other Mets star up for a Silver Slugger, did not win, as the award for shortstop instead went to Arizona's Geraldo Perdomo.
For Soto, this Silver Slugger is the sixth of his illustrious career. Despite somehow being snubbed from the NL All-Star team, Soto put up MVP-caliber numbers during his first season in Queens, posting a .921 OPS while setting a new career best with 43 home runs. One of three NL MVP finalists, Soto also stole a career-best 38 bases in 2025.
Meanwhile, Alonso takes home his first Silver Slugger Award following a 2025 season that saw him belt 38 home runs while slashing .272/.347/.524. He also became the Mets' all-time home run leader, passing Darryl Strawberry.
For Alonso, taking home the Silver Slugger should certainly help his cause as he hits free agency for a second straight offseason.
The Mets added to their roster on Thursday, claiming INF/OF Ji Hwan Bae off waivers from the Pittsburgh Pirates and LHP Jose Castillo off waivers from the Baltimore Orioles.
Bae, 26, originally signed with the Pirates as an international free agent infielder in March 2018.
Once considered a Top-15 prospect for Pittsburgh, Bae never really capitalized on his chances in the majors during his time with the Pirates.
After debuting and playing a handful of games in 2022, Bae played 11 games in 2023, posting a .608 OPS with two home runs, 17 doubles, 32 RBI, and 24 stolen bases. He then played just 20 games in 2024 and 13 games at the major league level in 2025, appearing solely as an outfielder when taking the field.
Bae, whose sprint speed ranks in the 82nd percentile, according to Baseball Savant, has put up good numbers in the minors, though. In 2024, Bae had a .945 OPS with 86 hits in 67 games, and he posted an .800 OPS with 82 hits in 73 games this past season.
Castillo returns to the Mets after appearing in 16 games with the club in 2025. Castillo pitched well during his time in Queens, posting a 2.35 ERA, but he was eventually placed on waivers and claimed by the Seattle Mariners before making his way to the Orioles.
Additionally, infielder Nick Madrigal has elected free agency.
The veteran infielder was fighting for a spot on the Mets' Opening Day roster last spring before suffering a fractured left shoulder.
In a semi-surprising move, the Yankees have extended the qualifying offer to outfielderTrent Grishamon Thursday, according to multiple reports.
This year’s qualifying offer is set at $22.025 million, and Grisham can accept the terms and return on a one-year contract. However, if Grisham rejects the qualifying offer and signs with a new team, the Yankees receive draft compensation.
Of course, this could be a double-edged sword for the Yankees. With Cody Bellinger opting out and testing free agency, two of their three starting outfielders from this past season are now free agents. The qualifying offer allows the Yankees to recoup draft capital if Grisham signs with another team. However, the qualifying offer could hamper Grisham's prospects for a deal, as new teams may not want to give up a draft pick to sign him.
Grisham could also accept the one-year deal and the Yankees will be paying a hefty price for the 28-year-old. But, perhaps, that's not the worst-case scenario as Grisham had a career season with the Yankees in 2025. His 34 homers are twice as many as his previous career high (2022 with the Padres) and his 74 RBI are 12 more than his previous high in 2021. It wasn't just his homers and RBI. Grisham set career marks in slugging (.464), hits (116), walks (82) and OPS (.811).
Not bad for what many considered a throw-in when the Yankees acquired Juan Soto in a trade with the San Diego Padres before the 2024 season.
All players who receive the qualifying offer this offseason have until Nov. 18 to decide whether or not to accept it.
In addition, the Yankees added RHP Kervin Castro to the 40-man roster. The right-hander last pitched in the majors back in 2022 with the Giants and Cubs. In his career, he's pitched to a 4.91 ERA but is still just 26 years old.
