Baseball: Murakami becomes 1st Japanese player with 30 HRs in debut MLB yr
- On Saturday, Chicago White Sox first baseman Munetaka Murakami became the first Japanese player to hit 30 home runs in his debut MLB season, joining an elite group of international sluggers.
- Murakami ranks in the first percentile in whiff percentage according to Baseball Savant, struggling to make contact on more than two-fifths of his swings while recording 158 strikeouts this season.
- During a difficult stretch, Murakami hit.085 over 16 games entering Saturday while drawing 12 walks. He said, "It's important for me to really think in a positive way, even if it's out."
- General Manager Getz expressed gratitude for Murakami's contributions, calling him a tremendous teammate. The Sox signed him to a two-year, $34 million deal during the offseason.
- With the White Sox chasing an AL Central Division title, Murakami aims to stabilize his production in September to support the team's playoff push during this critical final stretch.
13 Articles
13 Articles
[Sports Chosun Reporter Na Yuri] A record that even Shohei Ohtani could not achieve. Munetaka Murakami did it. He achieved the monumental record of 30 home runs in his rookie season. Murakami, the Japanese hitter for the Chicago White Sox, started as the number 3 hitter and first baseman in the 2026 Major League Baseball (MLB) home game against the Minnesota Twins held at Lake Field in Chicago, Illinois on the 6th (KST), recording 1 hit in 4 at-…
(Seoul = Yonhap News) Reporter Jang Hyun-gu = Japanese slugger Munetaka Murakami (Chicago White Sox) hits 30 home runs in the season immediately after his Major League Baseball (MLB) debut...
Steps Munetaka Murakami is taking to break out of his prolonged slump for Chicago White Sox’s stretch run
After batting .147 in 28 games in August, All-Star first baseman Munetaka Murakami is aiming to turn it around to help the Chicago White Sox in their playoff push.
White Sox Have Munetaka Murakami Problem
Munetaka Murakami had a lot of doubters.Coming over from Japan as a free agent in the offseason, many were concerned about his ability to make contact. The Chicago White Sox got him for a relative discount because of that.Murakami’s raw power was never in question. The question was whether he’d put together good enough at bats to access that pop in MLB games.In the early going with Chicago, the returns were quite positive. Murakami was absolutel…
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