Inside the White Sox's '1% Chance' and Hot Start for Slugger Munetaka Murakami
ANAHEIM, Calif. When White Sox special assistant David Keller made his annual scouting trip to Japan last August, Munetaka Murakami was among a list of top targets. But the odds of the White Sox actually signing the 25-year-old Nippon Professional Baseball superstar? "I thought it was like a 1% chance," Keller, who runs Chicago's international scouting department, told me this week during the team's series against the Anaheim Angels. "Realistically, just given who he is, the talent level, the system that I still felt was forming [with the White Sox]. All of those things, him desiring to come to the South Side of Chicago, those are things that are unknown." Nine months later, Murakami is already one of Major League Baseballs top home run hitters. The Japanese sensation has now mashed 14 homers through his first 37 games and became the first rookie since Trevor Story in 2016 to enter May with at least a share of MLBs home run lead. To the surprise of almost everyone, Murakamis impact is happening in a Chicago White Sox uniform. "I think it raises our profile in Japan," Keller said, "in a way thats probably immeasurable." Getting a foothold in the country figured to be a long-term endeavor for Keller, who was a longtime Mets scout before joining the White Sox in September 2024. At the time of Keller's hiring, the White Sox did not have a full-time scout in Japan and were in the midst of the worst season in modern baseball history. Keller and general manager Chris Getz knew that establishing a presence in the Pacific Rim would require patience, likely years, to make inroads. The process accelerated when they hired a full-time NPB scout, Satoshi Takahashi, last June. A few months later, Keller took his summer trip to Japan. By then, Murakami had already been on the MLB radar for years. At 22 years old in 2022, the superstar slugger set the single-season NPB record with 56 home runs while being named the Central League MVP for the second straight year. But he was a polarizing talent. While Murakami remained a powerful force in the ensuing years, he was unable to replicate his record-setting season. Last year, injuries limited him to 56 games. He still launched 22 home runs despite the missed time and clearly possessed the ceiling to develop into one of MLBs top power threats, but a high strikeout rate and defensive limitations figured to limit the corner infielders suitors and lower his floor. His three-true-outcome profile homers, walks, strikeouts made him unlike other Japanese stars who made the MLB leap, which had been a dream of Murakami's since he was a child, and therefore made him difficult to project. But when Keller traveled to Japan last season, as he had done annually in his role as a Mets scout, something caught his eye. "He had really dedicated himself to getting into better shape, to moving better on the baseball field and really making the most of his ability, which for years prior had stood out," Keller said, "because the NPB game is slightly different than the major-league game."While the top home-run hitters in MLB routinely eclipse 50 in a season, Murakamis 56 homers in 2022 represented a significant outlier in Japan. That year, he was one of only three NPB players with at least 30 home runs. Since he set that single-season mark, no NPB player has hit more than 41 home runs in a season."There arent players quite like him," Keller said.Teams cant speak directly to NPB players until their posting window opens, so they talk to people who know the players, watch them pregame, see how they interact in game with teammates and coaches and try to gather as much information as they can through different means.Even beyond the power, the White Sox liked what they saw. "When you see a guy whos genuinely liked, whos taking care of his body and has the makeup and character to navigate the ups and downs of the game combined with significant talent, you start to get pretty excited," Keller told me. "I wanted to really study the at-bats and see what it looked like, and I felt comfortable telling Chris that we have a guy here who has big-time power, whos going to have good at-bats, whos going to walk. And, yes, thats going to come with some strikeouts, but I think that the risk is a worthy endeavor." An unlikely match When Chicagos 60-win season ended last year, Murakamis name came up again during White Sox leadership meetings in October. But the projected salary range for the top NPB talent was still well beyond where they would realistically go. Despite Murakamis risky profile, most prognosticators thought he would land a long-term, nine-figure deal. His power potential seemed too high, the chance to secure a 26-year-old superstar too tantalizing, for some team not to take a chance. Over time, though, it became clear to the White Sox that Murakamis projected market wasnt materializing as expected. That opened a path for the White Sox to make a multipronged push. Chicagos analytics department and director of hitting Ryan Fuller studied Murakamis swing meticulously. They felt confident they could help him make the adjustment to big-league pitching. The White Sox's front office stayed in touch with Murakamis agency at Excel and effectively sold the plan to owner Jerry Reinsdorf. Still, the White Sox were coming off a second straight last-place finish and a fourth straight season missing the playoffs and they were still operating with a bottom-five MLB payroll. They also had a geographical disadvantage, though they didnt think playing on the coast mattered as much to Murakami as it did to other Japanese players. "Again, I think Id be lying to you to tell you I thought we were going to be significant players," Keller said. "I was really hopeful that in a couple of years we were going to be major players in the NPB market." But the White Sox kept Murakami in their conversations as they explored the corner infield market, and they had factors working in their favor. Most importantly, there were only a handful of teams looking for a slugging first baseman. The Mariners answered their need when they re-signed Josh Naylor in the middle of November. Weeks later, the best power hitter on the market came off the board when Kyle Schwarber returned to Philadelphia. Days later, Pete Alonso went to the Orioles, and the Mets countered by signing Jorge Polanco. "Maybe at some point the music would stop, and there wouldnt be enough chairs," Keller said. "And maybe we would still have a chair open." It didnt hurt that Shingo Takatsu, who pitched for the White Sox in 2004 and 2005, was Murakamis longtime manager in Tokyo and spoke glowingly of his experience to the young slugger. Ultimately, the deal that Murakami signed two years for $34 million came in well below projections and reflected teams hesitancy. His floor scared most teams away from pursuing the ceiling. Not the White Sox. They added the slugger on a low-risk, high-reward deal that accelerated their plans to establish a presence in Japan and added to their growing list of intriguing young talents. Already, Takahashi is frequently sending Keller photos from Japan of people walking the streets in White Sox hats, something that never would have been prevalent in previous years. When Murakami was introduced in his No. 5 White Sox uniform on Dec. 22, Getz still couldnt believe it. He did not mince words when describing his expectations. "We believe that Mune is going to be a star in this game," Getz said from the dais. Through the first month of the season, it is looking that way. Murakami has the highest whiff rate in MLB, but he also has the highest hard-hit rate and is launching home runs at such a prolific pace that his high strikeout numbers havent doomed him. He entered Friday trailing only Yankees superstar Aaron Judge for the MLB lead in home runs. And while nearly all of Murakami's slug has come from homers he didnt hit his first double of the year until his 35th game he rarely chases and has the ninth-highest walk rate in MLB, which has allowed him to log the highest on-base percentage among all qualified White Sox hitters. "I always thought it would play," White Sox pitcher Anthony Kay, who pitched against Murakami in Japan, told me. "I feel like, as baseball players, we see when guys are talented, and I feel like everyone over there saw it and knew that it would transfer over to the big leagues. But for him to be able to do it at such a quick rate and not really have a transition period is special." Its only May, but Murakami is currently on a 61-homer pace. He is the only player in MLB history to post at least 10 homers and 20 walks through his first 25 games, and hes attracting more and more believers with every blast. On Monday in Anaheim, a group of roughly 20 fans ran behind the visitors dugout to try to get Murakamis attention, some carrying signs, one wearing a Team Japan jersey, another donning his Yakult Swallows NPB uniform. The blemishes in Murakamis game did not bother the White Sox, and their recent lack of success did not deter Murakami from choosing them, a decision he felt even better about after Cubs players Seiya Suzuki and Shota Imanaga expressed to him how much they enjoy the city of Chicago. "My main priority was to find the best fit," Murakami said through his translator at his introductory press conference. "Whether the contract was long or not wasnt really a factor. I just really believe in the city and the organization, and Im really, really happy to be here." Im able to be fully who I am' In the middle of April, sidelined by arm fatigue, fellow NPB product Tatsuya Imai acknowledged the difficulties he was experiencing both on and off the field trying to adapt to his first season stateside. Conversely, as the Houston Astros pitcher struggled to adjust to the change, Murakami appeared to be fitting in seamlessly in his new environment. "People experience the differences, cultural or environmental, but for me theres nothing about that," Murakami told me this week through his interpreter, Kenzo Yagi. Despite the language barrier, he has found it easy to be himself. "My teammates are really communicating to me a lot," he continued. "They listen very well, they talk very slowly, they open up with so much communication that Im really comfortable making mistakes in English. Im really happy that they have my back and that Im able to be fully who I am in the clubhouse, and thats why Im really comfortable." Theres guesswork involved for every MLB team when it comes to projecting how a player might handle an international move. But when the White Sox got a chance to speak to Murakami via Zoom last winter, they felt more comfortable. Manager Will Venable told me that any worries about the transition were eliminated on day one of spring training when he saw the way Murakami "chopped it up" with his teammates. Murakamis willingness to move from third to first base, and his response to coaching and feedback, further eased any potential concerns. "Hes just been great in every way imaginable," Venable said. Murakami is constantly working on his English, which his teammates say has already gotten better. He leans on his interpreter during hitters meetings, but hell occasionally deliver one-liners. He is finding different ways to showcase his personality and engage with those around him, even as he learns the language. When he arrived at his locker at Camelback Ranch in the spring, Murakami laughed it off when his first name was mistakenly spelled "Munetaki," posting the picture to his Instagram story with a tongue-out laughing emoji. The White Sox attempted to make the transition as comfortable quite literally as possible for Murakami, who extolled the benefits of the team adding a bidet to the clubhouse. "Its good for the environment, too," Murakami said with a grin. "Everybody uses too much toilet paper." White Sox players continue to praise Murakami as a teammate. He tries to teach them Japanese every day, and theyre proactively going to him with different phrases. "I know a few words," infielder Chase Meidroth told me. "Weve had some sushi dates. Weve gone out a few times." How does Murakami know where to go? "I ask a lot of people that have been around the city," Murakami told me with a grin. "But mostly I just search on websites." On the White Sox's latest road trip, Meidroth was among a group of players who joined Murakami for an authentic omakase sushi experience where a chef creates a personalized, multi-course meal on an off day in San Diego. Murakami was hoping to show them how to properly put soy sauce on the fish. "Aside from being a good baseball player, its really fun playing with him," Meidroth said. "Obviously, at first it helps with Kenzo, but I think his English has gotten a lot better. He understands a lot of words, and I pick up on stuff that he says too. You just kind of get to that point where youre with each other every day, you start to pick up on stuff." That applies to other languages, too. Cuban infielder Miguel Vargas was surprised when he heard Murakami use Spanish phrases with him. "Right now, we dont pick any language," Vargas told me. "We mix all three. My Japanese is not that good, but his Spanish is good. He tries and has a great attitude." Quickly, Vargas got a sense of how much Murakami cared about winning, yes, but also about those around him. "He always comes and says, Hey, good AB, how you feel? How do you look at this pitcher?" Vargas said. "You got a tough day, he comes and says, Hey, tomorrow, we got em." Freakish power Early in spring, White Sox shortstop Colson Montgomery described Murakamis power as "freakish." Murakami has spent the last month demonstrating why. There was the 451-foot home run in Arizona that gave him five straight games with a homer, the 425-foot left-on-left blast that fell into a tree in right field at Sutter Health Park and the 429-foot blast off Angels standout Jose Soriano on a 98.1 mph fastball up and out of the zone. But it was another deep drive that many of Murakamis teammates and coaches have singled out as the most breathtaking. On April 17, Elvis Alvarado left a full-count 98.2 mph fastball over the heart of the plate that Murakami sent for a ride. As center fielder Denzel Clarke took a few courtesy steps toward the warning track, but he knew the result. He looked up and watched the baseball disappear over the batters eye. There were questions coming in about Murakamis ability to handle MLB velocity, but hes answering them. Hes slugging .643 on pitches 97 mph or above. "He has this opportunity to see, like, OK, what am I in Major League Baseball?'" White Sox hitting coach Derek Shomon told me. "I think if you bucket it in a way that youre just saying, This is the player you have to be, it can be very limiting. We dont know, right? Theres a good hitter in there that obviously can launch but also is drawing walks at a ridiculously high clip because hes not expanding. So, who knows, man? What we do know is the best version of it is pretty damn good." The changes in his swing Murakami has had to make as he adjusts to MLB pitching have only been "micro-adjustments," according to Shomon, primarily regarding his setup and first move to get him in the best position to launch. That, clearly, has not been a problem. Ten of Murakamis 14 homers have traveled more than 400 feet, a number matched only by Judge, and his power and keen eye have made him one of MLB's 20 best hitters by most advanced metrics. The version of Murakami that Kay sees now differs a bit from the one he saw in NPB. "Id say he matured a little bit in his approach," Kay said. "He knows hes not going to be pitched a lot in the zone, so his eye has definitely gotten better from what I saw in Japan." He is patiently lifting a White Sox team that is less than a game out of a wild-card spot in the middling American League. Soon, decisions will have to be made. Murakamis short-term pact with the White Sox helped alleviate the risk they assumed, but it also meant just two seasons with Murakami under contract. For now, theyll keep enjoying a reality that never seemed possible. "Whether Im on the road or flying, Im trying to tune into every at-bat," Keller said, "because he has a chance to do something pretty cool every time hes in the box." __ In "Touching Base," we check on the top players and topics making headlines around baseball and what comes next.
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