The Chicago White Sox haven’t exactly been known for making waves in recent offseasons, but on Sunday, they flipped the script in a big way. In one of the more surprising moves of the winter, the Sox landed Japanese slugger Munetaka Murakami on a two-year, $34 million deal - a bold swing for a franchise in the thick of a rebuild.
Murakami, just 25 years old, isn’t your average international signing. This is a guy who’s already left a deep imprint on Japanese baseball history.
He’s the single-season home run king in Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB), blasting 56 bombs in 2022 - the most ever by a Japanese-born player. That same year, he earned his second straight NPB MVP award.
And if you watched the 2023 World Baseball Classic, you saw him come through with some clutch moments for Team Japan, further cementing his reputation as a big-time hitter on the international stage.
Now, he brings that left-handed thunder to the South Side of Chicago.
Let’s be clear: the power is real. Murakami has crushed 246 home runs over eight seasons with the Tokyo Yakult Swallows.
When he connects, the ball doesn’t just leave the yard - it leaves a mark. He’s got the kind of raw strength that can flip a game with one swing, and in a lineup that’s been starved for consistent pop, his presence is going to be felt immediately.
That said, it’s not all fireworks and highlight reels. Murakami’s swing comes with some serious swing-and-miss.
Over the past three seasons, he’s posted a strikeout rate north of 28% - and that’s in NPB, where the pitching, while solid, doesn’t quite match the velocity and depth of MLB staffs. His in-zone contact rate last season was just 72.6%, which would’ve ranked near the bottom of the league stateside.
That’s going to be something to watch closely as he adjusts to major league arms, especially high-velocity fastballs and elite breaking stuff.
So why only a two-year deal for a 25-year-old with that kind of power pedigree?
Well, the market spoke. Murakami was projected by some to land a contract in the neighborhood of eight years and $180 million.
But concerns about his strikeout profile - and how it might translate in MLB - clearly cooled interest. As his 45-day posting window ticked down to its final hours, the White Sox stepped in with a short-term offer that gives both sides flexibility.
For Murakami, it’s a chance to prove himself in the big leagues and hit the market again at 27. For the Sox, it’s a low-risk, high-upside play on a talent with game-changing potential.
And let’s be honest - Chicago could use a few game-changers right now.
This isn’t a team expected to contend in 2026. But with Murakami joining lefty Anthony Kay and the returning Luis Robert Jr. - assuming he’s not moved in a trade - the White Sox are at least starting to piece together a more competitive roster. Add in the No. 1 pick in next summer’s MLB Draft, and there’s a glimmer of direction for a franchise that’s been spinning its wheels.
As for the Guardians, they’ll get their first look at Murakami in late June when they visit Guaranteed Rate Field for a three-game set. Cleveland has absolutely owned the White Sox in recent years, going 19-7 against them over the past two seasons.
But Murakami’s the kind of bat who can change that dynamic - even if he’s striking out twice a night, he’s still got the ability to ruin a game with one swing. That’s the kind of threat you can’t teach.
Would Murakami have fit in Cleveland’s lineup? Absolutely.
His left-handed power and ability to mash righties would’ve slotted in nicely. But realistically, the Guardians were never going to be players at this price point - not for a bat with this much swing-and-miss risk.
That’s just not how they operate.
Instead, it’s the White Sox who take the gamble. And for a team that’s been stuck in neutral, it’s a gamble worth taking. If Murakami can adjust to big league pitching and tap into even a portion of the power he showed in Japan, this could be the start of something interesting on the South Side.
For now, it’s a fresh face, a big bat, and a reason - finally - to pay attention to the White Sox this winter.