Munetaka Murakami probably won’t surpass Shohei Ohtani for many major-league records, but the Chicago White Sox third baseman overtook the four-time MVP with a record for Japanese players in Saturday’s 6-3 win over the Toronto Blue Jays.
Murakami, 26. became the first Japanese player to hit four home runs in the initial eight games of his MLB career, according to Sarah Langs. In the sixth inning, Blue Jays reliever Brendon Little hung a sinker in the inner middle of the strike zone and Murakami launched it to straight-away center field for his first homer at Rate Field.
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With that fourth home run, Murakami overtook Ohtani, who hit three home runs in his first eight games with the Los Angeles Angels during the 2018 season.
During the opening week of the 2026 campaign, Murakami joined a notable club by becoming the fourth player in major-league history to hit three home runs in his first three games of the season.
However, one of those four players — Cleveland Guardians outfielder Chase DeLauter — separated himself from the pack on Friday by hitting his fifth home run in his first seven games. Only Trevor Story, who hit seven home runs in his first seven games as a rookie with the Colorado Rockies, has more.
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Murakami signed a two-year, $34 million contract with the White Sox in December. He was ranked by Yahoo Sports’ Jake Mintz and Jordan Shusterman as the sixth-best free agent available this past offseason.
In 2021, Murakami won the Japan Central League MVP with the Yakult Swallows, compiling a triple-slash line of .278/.408/.566 with 39 home runs and 122 RBI. He topped those numbers the following season, breaking Japanese baseball legend Sadaharu Oh’s single-season record with 56 home runs, adding a slash average of .318/.458/.710 with 134 RBI and 118 walks.
That performance made Murakami the youngest Triple Crown winner in Nippon Professional Baseball history at 22 years old.
In 34 plate appearances this season, Murakami has a .250/.353/.679 slash line, demonstrating that he can hit for power in MLB but also thus far confirming the concerns about him hitting for contact.