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Munetaka Murakami has a funny handshake with fellow infielder Miguel Vargas. He playfully agreed that a wand routine with teammate Mike Vasil helped him slam another homer. His No. 5 jersey adorns the stands at Rate Field.
The Japanese slugger was not to end up with the Chicago White Sox. But it’s going pretty well at the moment.
Murakami looks good with a promising group of young position players in Chicago, and they’ve been mashing the ball so far this season. Murakami has an AL-leading 17 homers and a team-high 32 RBIs through Sunday’s action, and the surprising White Sox are tied for second in the majors with 66 total homers.
“It’s the full lineup, one through nine. Feeding off each other,” Murakami said through his interpreter, Kenzo Yagi. “It’s a big confidence booster to see other players get good results. I just want to be that contributor and contribute to the lineup and contribute to the team’s wins.”
Murakami’s 17 homers rank third by a player in Major League history in his first 45 games, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. He went deep in a record eight consecutive series openers from April 14th to May 8th.
When Murakami steps to the plate, one of baseball’s three true outcomes is the likely outcome. He also ranks among the major league leaders with 36 walks and 66 strikeouts.
“He’s a superstar. There’s no other way to do it,” White Sox pitcher Davis Martin said. “You play against guys like (Mike) Trout, you play against guys like (Aaron) Judge and Yordan Alvarez, and he does the same things they do. It’s an incredible thing to see.”
Murakami is the fourth Japanese-born player to play for the White Sox, joining Shingo Takatsu (2004-05), second baseman Tadahito Iguchi (2005-07) and outfielder Kosuke Fukudome (2012). Takatsu managed Murakami in Japan.
“He’s had to make a ton of adjustments to get comfortable,” White Sox manager Will Venable said. “And I know it’s probably not easy for him. So yeah, he’s just a guy who has the flexibility to come into different environments and then get comfortable, and I think that speaks volumes about his character and who he is.”
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The 26-year-old Murakami was the Central League MVP in 2021 and ’22. He was limited to 56 games last season due to an oblique injury, but he hit .273 with 22 homers and 47 RBIs.
He entered MLB’s posting system in November. With the market lighter than expected — there was some exaggerated concern about his ability to handle velocity — the White Sox signed the slugger to a $34 million, two-year contract in December.
During Murakami’s fast start this season, White Sox general manager Chris Getz has fielded some complimentary calls from other GMs.
“A GM said ‘Congratulations, you beat the industry with this one,'” Getz said, “so that was nice to hear and it’s worked out and you know we’re really excited to have him in a White Sox uniform and he’s helping us win baseball games.”
Murakami was late for his first spring training game after he got caught in some traffic. But it has been trouble free most of the time.
He hit a solo homer in his first three games of the regular season. He crushed a 431-foot grand slam in a 9-2 win at the Athletics on April 17, beginning a five-game homer streak. He connected on a three-run shot in an 8-7 win over the Angels last month.
As Vasil continued to wave a wand in the White Sox dugout, Murakami went deep twice in his first career multihomer game Saturday night against the Crosstown Cubs.
He doesn’t sneak up on anyone anymore.
“He’s a dangerous hitter and a guy you definitely have to be careful with,” Mariners manager Dan Wilson said.
Murakami will also improve. He said his biggest challenge has been adjusting to new pitchers every day and getting more comfortable at first base.
Asked about his biggest challenge in moving to the majors, he paused and smiled.
“Compared to Japan, here the environment is completely different,” he said. “The room, the fields and everything is really nice. That’s the … biggest surprise.”
Report from the Associated Press.
