White Sox Land Munetaka Murakami on a Two-Year Deal

The Chicago White Sox have made headlines by reportedly winning the Munetaka Murakami sweepstakes, with the Japanese home run superstar agreeing to a two-year contract worth $34 million.

According to ESPN's Jeff Passan, Murakami, who has established himself as one of Japan's premier sluggers, joins the ranks of other high-profile players like Kyle Schwarber of the Philadelphia Phillies and Pete Alonso of the Baltimore Orioles, who have also signed recently.

Murakami's Impressive Track Record

The Yakult Swallows posted Murakami on November 7, allowing all 30 MLB teams a 45-day window to negotiate a deal. Unlike younger players, Murakami, being over 25, bypassed the international free-agent restrictions that limited Roki Sasaki's signing from the Los Angeles Dodgers last offseason.

Debuting in Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) at just 18 years old, Murakami has had an impressive eight-year career. Over 892 NPB games, he has compiled an impressive .270/.394/.557 slash line. Notably, he set a career-high with 56 home runs in 2022 and has hit at least 30 homers in five of the last six seasons.

Despite dealing with an oblique injury that limited him to just 69 games in 2025, he still maintained an impressive .286/.392/.659 slash line. While primarily playing third base, he has also contributed at first base and could see time as a designated hitter in the MLB.

Scouting Reports and Expectations

The potential for Murakami's power to translate to Major League Baseball has garnered attention. Although there are mixed scouting reports regarding his offensive capabilities against big-league pitchers, many remain optimistic about his power potential. As one scout noted, "He has legit power. It should translate to the Majors." However, questions about contact rate remain, given his strikeout percentage has exceeded 28% in each of the past three seasons.

Nevertheless, Murakami's patience at the plate has allowed him to maintain high walk totals, having drawn over 100 walks in multiple seasons, including 2021, 2022, and 2024. FanGraphs' prospect analysis projects a below-average hit tool grade of 30, but anticipates a game power grade of 70, further emphasizing the excitement surrounding his arrival in the MLB.