Reports broke on December 21 that the Chicago White Sox will sign Munetaka Murakami. Heading into the year, Murakami came in as arguably the best available Japanese player. However, questions regarding his hit tool and defense — which have been around for the past few years — have dogged him.
A Look at Murakami
Many North American fans likely got their first look at Munetaka Murakami nearly three years ago at the 2023 World Baseball Classic. With Team Japan, Murakami only batted .231/.364/.462 with 13 strikeouts over seven games. However, he hit one home run and drove in six, including the game-winning run for Japan in the semifinals.
Murakami was coming off a career year in 2023, as the now-25-year-old blasted 56 home runs with Yakult in 2022. It was an incredible campaign overall for Murakami, who walked 118 times over 141 games while striking out 128. However, Murakami has been unable to replicate those results.
The infielder hit 31 home runs in 2023. However, the strikeouts began to pile up for Murakami. He went down 168 times by the strikeout over 140 games in 2023, then struck out 180 times over 143 games. This past season, Murakami hit 24 home runs over 69 games and struck out 71 times.
A formidable slugger in Japan, there’s not much doubt about his power. He was able to take the ball to all fields, including effectively driving the ball to the opposite side ala Rafael Devers.
However, the big issue with Murakami is the strikeouts. Yes, he did take his walks in Japan. However, with a longer swing, the question now becomes whether he can hit velocity at the MLB level. That naturally comes with the territory with players with a longer stroke.
Defensively, Murakami has played mostly at third throughout his career with Yakult. However, he also spent time at first and in the outfield. He accumulated a lot of errors at third, though, including 22 in 2023 and 15 in 2024.
Given his size and fielding ability, first base is likely his long-term home.
Per ESPN, the White Sox will sign Munetaka Murakami to a two-year deal worth $34MM. Yakult will also receive a posting fee.
Analysis
Murakami is the latest Japanese star to come over to the States, joining Kodai Senga, Seiya Suzuki, Masataka Yoshida, Roki Sasaki, and Yoshinobu Yamamoto. However, despite being only 25, Murakami received less fanfare and, by proxy, a smaller contract compared to Suzuki and Yoshida.
Suzuki received a five-year deal worth over $80MM. Yoshida, meanwhile, received five years at $90MM from the Red Sox. Both, though, were and are very different players compared to Murakami.
Again, the big question that will dog Murakami is whether he can handle fastballs at the MLB level. The strikeouts were a big problem in Japan — and that could be exploited even further in the Majors.
Murakami could have decided to stay in Japan, even though the Swallows had posted him. However, doing so would have required him to stay at least one more season in the NPB, and possibly more, given the pending labor landscape next year.
As for the White Sox, it’s a worthwhile risk. The reports were out there on Murakami, making him somewhat of a risky gamble for teams that needed a corner infielder (i.e., Cubs, Mets, etc.) heading into the winter and plan on contending this season. After all, if Murakami can’t make consistent contact, he could be more of a void than a gap-filler.
However, the White Sox are a team on the rise and don’t have a set situation with respect to their corner infield. Miguel Vargas will be in the conversation somewhere, as he played first and third this past season. And aside from Colson Montgomery and Luis Robert Jr., the White Sox don’t have much power in their lineup.
For both sides, it’s worth the risk. Murakami can take the rebuild further along. And if he can produce, he can test the market again since he won’t be bound to traditional free agency/arbitration rules.
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