White Sox’s Munetaka Murakami joins club with 1 player since 1900 after mashing another HR

Chicago White Sox rookie designated hitter Munetaka Murakami went deep once again in Sunday’s 7-4 victory over the Athletics to conclude the three-game series. The 26-year-old finished the game 1-for-5, hitting a two-run shot. It was his third straight game with a homer, bringing his season tally to eight through his first 22 MLB appearances.

Murakami’s latest blast, a 425-foot drive with a 114.1 mph exit velocity, came off left-hander Jeffrey Springs in the fifth inning. Over the series, he homered in all three games, including a 431-foot grand slam on Friday and a 415-foot blast on Saturday. His eight home runs are the most ever by a Japanese-born player through 22 career games, surpassing Shohei Ohtani, who had five in that period.

Not only that, Murakami became just the second player since 1900 to record two separate home run streaks of at least three games within his first 22 MLB contests, joining Rhys Hoskins (2017). His offensive game thrives on power over contact, resulting in a .918 OPS even with a .208 average and 33.3% strikeouts, alongside a 21.5% walk rate.

Murakami’s eight homers leave him tied for second in MLB alongside Aaron Judge and Jordan Walker at the time. Additionally, his production sets a new Chicago benchmark for home runs within a player’s first 22 games with the franchise, surpassing Jose Abreu’s 2014 start.

The White Sox’s offense backed him with a power display, hitting four home runs Sunday and eight across the series after totaling 16 in their first 19 games. Miguel Vargas, Derek Hill, and Colson Montgomery also homered, while Vargas reached base four times.

On the mound, Noah Schultz earned his first major league win, allowing one hit and one run over five innings with six strikeouts. did its part down the stretch, with Seranthony Dominguez closing it out for his fourth save.

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