Wladimir Balentien. He hit 60 bombs for Yakult in 2013.
He’s a fine power hitter but his career high otherwise in 38, so kind of a Roger Maris thing.
Munetaka Murakami has hit 45 HRs this season, and was on pace for 60 (58 now), but he’s still been amazing this year, at only 22 years old. His wRC+ is 233. (For which, 100 is league average.) And he hit 5 homers in consecutive plate appearances.
Also Roki Sasaki would be great to see. But both seem to be primed for pretty great careers.
Yeah, he’s really something; this is his fourth year in NPB. When he was 18 he hit 18 bombs, and at 19 he hit 36. He runs well, walks as much as he strikes out, hits for average - he’s about as good a young ballplayer as there in on the planet. He’s also a third baseman, although I don’t know how good he is at it. He is having one of the best seasons anyone’s ever had over there.
If I was running an MLB team I’d have the first day he could be posted written on the wall of my office.
Murakami hit six home runs over the weekend and now sits at 51. He is nine away from the NPB home run record and has 24 games left.