When Munetaka Murakami entered the posting system on November 8 and opened the window for negotiations with MLB teams after eight seasons in Japanese baseball, it was thought that the slugger would not take long to get a contract. However, he had to wait almost until his signing deadline expired to reach an agreement with the Chicago White Sox.
According to a report from MLB, the 25-year-old Japanese slugger has agreed to a two-year, $34 million deal with the South Side franchise, which was the second-most losing team (102) in 2025 and was not among the favorites to acquire his services.
“Murakami will bring his prodigious power to a rebuilding White Sox team,” analyst Jeff Passan said on X, where he also noted that the team intends to use him at first base.
Murakami will bring his prodigious power to a rebuilding White Sox team
The ESPN reporter also highlighted that the signing of the Japanese player adds more talent to a team that has other promising youngsters such as Colson Montgomery, Kyle Teel, Edgar Quero and Miguel Vargas
There is no doubt that Murakami will bring power to the White Sox lineup. In eight seasons in his country’s circuit, he hit 265 home runs and drove in 722 runs, with a .550 slugging percentage, .945 OPS and two MVP awards in the Central League.
Between 2021 and 2022, his performance was monstrous. In the first of those campaigns, he hit 39 balls beyond the limits, with 112 RBIs, and an OPS of .974. The following year he was even more impressive: 56 home runs, 134 RBIs, and an offensive line of .318/.458/.710/1.168.
Why has Murakami’s signing taken so long?
An MLB insider close to the negotiations told MARCA that the high demands of Excel Sports Management, the agency that represents the Japanese infielder, may have limited his market.
“They were asking for a lot of money for a 25-30 home run player, but with very little average and a lot of strikeouts,” the analyst said, who predicted that negotiations would drag on until the last minute
They were asking a lot of money for a 25-30 home run player, but with very little average and a lot of strikeouts
Jeff Passan echoed this sentiment, noting that concerns about Murakami’s whiff rate and doubts about his defensive position slowed his market opportunities and limited his options for a long-term contract.
Murakami had until 5:00 p.m. (ET) on Monday, December 22 to reach an agreement with an MLB team. If no deal was reached, he would return to the Tokyo Yakults Swallows, the team he has played for since his debut in 2018.
An elite slugger who generates doubts
When it comes to power hitting, Munetaka Murakami has a natural talent. The strength of his wrists is beyond question, but that alone is not enough to succeed in the best baseball in the world and the left-hander has several weak points.
For example, in Japan, he has fallen below 30% valid contact against pitches on the edge of the zone, against both left- and right-handed pitchers. This is a major shortcoming considering that MLB pitchers move their deliveries perfectly through peripheral zones, often with large-breaking pitches or smoke fastballs.
Against left-handed pitchers, Murakami exhibits poor averages when thrown sliders over 81 mph (.182) and splitters over 84 mph (.194). In addition, he hits only one home run every 38 pitches against fastballs over 91 mph. The trend does not change much against right-handed pitchers, against whom he hit .095 with pitches of 93+ mph in 2025.
To top it off, he doesn’t make contact on almost half (48.7%) of his swings in two-strike counts, adding up his samples against lefties and righties. In general, his two-strike average is .225 against breaking pitches.
On the other hand, his physique (he weighs almost 100 kilos) does not allow him to excel in base running and he does not have great defensive range either. While he can play as a first baseman and third baseman, his impact with the glove is questionable. These have been points that teams have studied in detail and which, in the end, have limited his market.
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