MLB teams questioned Munetaka Murakami’s ability to handle velocity, but the White Sox slugger is proving those concerns couldn’t have been more wrong in 2026.
The free agency market for Japanese slugger Munetaka Murakami is going to be an interesting case study for years to come.
Murakami is the single-season home run king in Japan. He hit 56 home runs and drove in 134 RBIs as a 22-year-old back in 2022. And despite displaying generational power and producing plenty of highlights on the world stage, Murakami couldn't find any takers for a long-term contract as he made the jump to Major League Baseball as a 25-year-old.
He ended up settling for a two-year, $34 million contract with the Chicago White Sox. How is that possible?
As the offseason progressed, free agents picked new homes and the deadline for Murakami's posting window neared, a few scouting red flags forced teams to pump the brakes on a potential long-term deal. The word around the league was that Murakami couldn't handle velocity.
Nippon Professional Baseball doesn't have many pitchers touching the upper 90s or throwing 100 mph like they do in MLB. These days, it feels like every MLB pitcher has an overpowering fastball that plays at the top of the strike zone. So while there was little doubt about Murakami's power, teams grew concerned about whether he'd be able to make enough contact to really use that power.
The White Sox, however, expressed confidence that Murakami would be able to make the necessary adjustments. Because high-velocity pitching isn't as common in Japan, Murakami had never specifically trained his swing to handle fastballs at the top of the strike zone. Arriving in Chicago, working with the White Sox hitting coaches, and training on the team's Trajekt machine could help Murakami reach his full potential.
Murakami has proven the White Sox right ever since.
It's not just the fact that Murakami has 14 home runs and 28 RBIs in 35 games. That makes him the American League leader in RBIs and ties him with Aaron Judge for the MLB lead in home runs.
It's not just the fact that Murakami ranks in the top 5% of hitters in walk rate, expected slugging, average exit velocity, barrel rate, and hard-hit percentage.
The really shocking part of Murakami's breakout rookie season is that he's doing it against velocity. On Monday night in Los Angeles, Murakami hit a home run off José Soriano. It came on a 98.1 mph fastball up and out of the strike zone. Murakami still got the barrel to the ball, hit it 109 mph, and launched it 429 feet to dead center field.
There have been 24 home runs in Major League Baseball so far this season off 98.0+ mph pitches. Munetaka Murakami is the only player with multiple home runs of that variety. Entering play on Tuesday, Murakami also has a .660 slugging percentage against fastballs this season. The league average is .432.
Not only can he handle the heat, but he thrives in it. If you throw him a fastball in the strike zone, you better be prepared to face the consequences.
Hence why I think his free agency will be a case study for years to come. It's going to make teams rethink how they evaluate international talent. It's going to make them wonder how they got it so wrong. Hopefully, the White Sox are able to work out a contract extension with Murakami at some point and reap the rewards of this home run signing for years to come.