Munetaka Murakami is off to a great start in Major League Baseball, and he has put to sleep some of the concerns teams may have had with him in free agency.
When free agency started, many believed there would be a bidding war for Murakami. However, that was not the case. He did not sign until late December, and ended up getting just a two-year, $34 million deal. According to The Athletic’s Will Sammon in December, teams had concerns about his ability to adjust and his profile as a hitter. He had a 36.7% whiff rate and a 28.6% percent strikeout rate in 2025 for the Yakult Swallows.
The swing and miss in his game was a major concern, but in Japan, he was crushing home runs, so it did not matter. There are lots of players in the big leagues who strike out a ton, but also hit a ton of home runs, so the major concern was whether Murakami could bring that consistent power he had in Japan to the big leagues. So far, the answer is yes.
Murakami is tied with Aaron Judge for the league lead in home runs with 14. He has just one extra-base hit outside of his home runs, but he is a huge reason the White Sox are only half a game back of first place in the American League Central.
Murakami is hitting just .244, but his .961 OPS is doing most of the talking. He has already struck out 51 times this season and has a whiff rate of 43.7%. His strikeout rate is 32.7%. However, he led Nippon Professional Baseball in walks during his time with the Swallows from 2018-25, and that part of his game has also translated well to MLB.
He is in the 96th percentile for walk rate, drawing 28 walks already. Defensively, he has a plus-one outs above average through 36 games. He has played 282 innings at first base this season.
Defense was another concern teams had with Murakami in free agency. He spent most of his time in Japan at third base, but he was a below-average defender. He seems to be doing well enough at first base to stay in the lineup. However, his OPS and walks are more than enough to keep him in the lineup even if his defense were poor.
Soon, the question will be what the White Sox do with him. Right now, they are right in the middle of the AL Central race. Their team has played well above expectations so far, and the young players are playing well. However, will they still be in the playoff race come June? If not, Murakami will become a hot name at the trade deadline.
By signing a short-term deal, Murakami has made himself a potential trade candidate. Now that he has shown he can hit for power and be a Kyle Schwarber-type player in the big leagues, teams will be willing to offer him big deals when he hits the open market. If the White Sox fear losing him after next season, they could look to capitalize while the value is high.
Photo: Chicago White Sox’s Munetaka Murakami hits a grand slam during the seventh inning of a baseball game against the Athletics Friday, April 17, 2026, in West Sacramento, Calif. (AP Photo/Sara Nevis)
