The Chicago White Sox made a splash this offseason by landing Japanese slugger Munetaka Murakami. That signing led to a few more moves that should positively impact the franchise’s future. With Murakami leading the charge, though, the White Sox should have a much better season this year. With that, the 26-year-old has one personal goal for 2026 that will help Chicago be a better team.
Murakami has already shown off his awesome personality when speaking with reporters. Recently, he spoke about his request to put a bidet in each stall of the clubhouse. In an interview on Tuesday, Murakami showed off more of that personality while making his goal for his first season in the MLB known.
“Chicago doesn’t know me yet, so I’ll try to hit as many bombs as possible so that a lot of Chicago people will start to know me,” Murakami said, per Chicago Sports Network.
Hit lots of bombs, get lots of endorsement deals 🤝😂
@ChuckGarfien and @BrookeFletcher with the latest on “Mune Watch”This was in response to a reporter asking him if he was receiving any endorsement deals at the moment. The home runs would definitely get him a few endorsements, but it would also help the team win more games.
Munetaka Murakami’s Power
GettyMunetaka Murakami just wants to hit home runs for the White Sox.
Hitting a lot of bombs will not be difficult for Murakami. His power at the plate is undeniable.
In the NPB, the left-handed hitter slugged 246 home runs in eight seasons. That is an average of 30.75 per year. In 2022, Murakami smashed a career-high 56 home runs for the Yakult Swallows. That type of power is hard to come by. But it will be interesting to see how it translates over to the MLB.
Murakami should not be expected to have a 56-homer season. In fact, Chicago has never had a player hit 50 home runs in a single year. However, he has the power and ability to reach 30 if he plays a fully healthy season.
Now, Murakami has some swing-and-miss in his game. In 2024, the corner infielder struck out 180 times in 143 games. He then struck out 71 times in 69 games the following season. During the 2023 World Baseball Classic, Murakami had 13 strikeouts in seven games, and that was against a lot of Major League pitchers.
If he can cut down on the strikeouts in the MLB, Murakami is going to be a very good player for Chicago.
Murakami’s Spring Training Thus Far
GettyMunetaka Murakami will play first base for the White Sox.
Murakami has played a lot for the White Sox during spring training. He has 10 at-bats in three games, and it is clear that manager Will Venable wants him to be as exposed as possible to big league pitching.
In his 10 at-bats, Murakami has four hits, which is a great sign. Two of those hits are doubles, while the other two were singles. But he has struck out four times without drawing a single walk. His lack of patience at the plate could end up hurting him in the long run, but his spring training results have been positive.
Defensively, Murakami will play first base for Chicago. He has only played that position in spring training, and it should not change once the regular season comes around.
White Sox Star Munetaka Murakami Has One Goal for 2026