Munetaka Murakami

Active

Chicago White Sox · First Base

Age 266' 2" · 213 lbsBats Left

#178 Current#199 Preseason#42 Dynasty

FBaseball Overview

The 26-year-old makes his MLB debut with the White Sox after years of dominance in Japan, arriving with significant power potential at first base. Through 200 plate appearances in 2026, Murakami is settling into the major leagues with modest early returns—a .240 average and 20 home runs suggest he's still adjusting to big-league pitching, though the power stroke is evident and projects to increase as he acclimate to MLB. Fantasy managers should view him as a buy-low candidate given his youth and pedigree, as the run production (43 runs across limited at-bats) and home run pace indicate he could deliver more consistent counting stats with more opportunities. The primary risk is continued batting average struggles and minimal speed (1 steal), which limits his fantasy value in AVG-dependent leagues, but his raw power and RBI upside make him a worthwhile flier in mixed formats as a platoon or eventual everyday contributor.

News Updates

Murakami reaches 30 homers; becomes 4th Japanese 30-HR player
Munetaka Murakami hit his 30th home run for the White Sox, becoming the fourth player from Japan to reach the milestone in MLB history. The first baseman achieved this despite missing time with a grade 2 right hamstring strain earlier in the season.
Sep 6, 2026
Munetaka Murakami leads White Sox to division lead
Chicago White Sox have maintained a 2.5-game lead in the American League Central following Sunday's 12-3 victory over Houston, with international star Munetaka Murakami continuing to be a transformative presence for the franchise.
Jul 27, 2026
Murakami progresses on rehab assignment, nearing return
Munetaka Murakami completed his second rehab game with Triple-A Charlotte while recovering from a Grade 2 right hamstring strain sustained on May 29. The White Sox infielder is advancing through his rehabilitation program and could be ready to rejoin the Chicago lineup as early as Friday. His return will provide a significant boost to the team's infield depth.
Jul 9, 2026

MLB Hitting

Year	Team	G	PA	AB	AVG	HR	RBI	R	SB	K	OBP	SLG	OPS
2026	Chicago White Sox	110	481	395	.208	30	62	73	1	169	.347	.471	.818
Career	Totals	110	481	395	.208	30	62	73	1	169	.347	.471	.818

Source: MLB Stats API · Multi-team seasons show combined totals — click to expand

Minor League Hitting

Year	Team	G	PA	AB	AVG	HR	RBI	R	SB	K	OBP	SLG	OPS
2026	Charlotte Knights	2	8	7	.286	0	1	1	0	2	.375	.429	.804
Career	Totals	2	8	7	.286	0	1	1	0	2	.375	.429	.804

Source: MLB Stats API · Multi-team seasons show combined totals — click to expand

Game Log2026 MLB

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Advanced Stats2026 season · via Baseball Savant

Click for year to year changes

EV Avg93.9 mph

Max EV114.1 mph

Launch Angle16.3°

Barrel %18.9%

K %34.9%

Hard Hit %57.3%

Sprint Speed26.8 ft/s

Bat Speed74.8 mph

Whiff %42.3%

Chase %22.3%

xBA0.202

xSLG0.456

xwOBA0.344

GB%41.4%

FB%38.8%

What These Stats Mean

EV Avg — Average exit velocity — how hard this batter hits the ball. Elite hitters (90+ mph) make consistently hard contact, driving better batting averages and more power.

Max EV — Peak exit velocity on the batter's hardest-hit ball this season. Signals raw power potential even without a high HR total yet.

Launch Angle — Average vertical angle of the ball off the bat. The sweet spot for extra-base hits is roughly 10–30°; extreme ground ball or pop-up hitters sit outside this range.

Barrel % — Percentage of batted balls hit with the optimal exit velocity + launch angle combo. Barrels are the single best predictor of home runs and slugging percentage.

K % — Strikeout rate per plate appearance. High K% suppresses batting average and limits run-scoring opportunities — lower is better for fantasy.

Hard Hit % — Percentage of batted balls hit 95 mph or harder. A broader power indicator than barrels; high hard-hit% players rack up extra-base hits and RBI.

Sprint Speed — Peak sprint speed in feet per second. The best predictor of stolen base upside and ability to leg out infield hits.

Bat Speed — Average swing speed at the point of contact. Faster bat speed lets hitters wait longer on pitches and generates more raw power potential.

Whiff % — Percentage of swings that miss. High whiff rates signal strikeout vulnerability, dragging down batting average and overall production.

Chase % — How often the batter swings at pitches outside the strike zone. Low chase rates mean elite plate discipline — more walks, fewer strikeouts, more consistent at-bats.

xBA — Expected batting average based on contact quality, stripping out luck and defensive positioning. Better predictor of future performance than actual batting average.

xSLG — Expected slugging based on batted ball data. A high xSLG relative to actual SLG suggests power suppressed by bad luck that's likely to bounce back.

xwOBA — Expected weighted on-base average — the most comprehensive single expected metric. Combines contact quality, walks, and strikeouts to project overall offensive production.

GB% — Ground ball rate. High GB% hitters trade home run power for speed-dependent value — good for stolen base upside, but a drag on HR and SLG categories.

FB% — Fly ball rate. Elite power hitters combine high FB% with high exit velocity. High fly ball rate + soft contact = home run or nothing type.

Loading player data...

Year

Team

AVG

RBI

OBP

SLG

OPS

2026

Chicago White Sox

110

481

395

.208

169

.347

.471

.818

Career

Totals

110

481

395