The Chicago White Sox are adding some considerable power to their lineup.

Baseball insider Jeff Passan at ESPN reported earlier today that Japanese infielder Munetaka Murakami and the White Sox have agreed on a two-year deal worth $34 million. A third baseman by trade, Passan adds that Murakami has passed his physical and will play first base for his new team.

The 25-year-old is one of the most prolific hitters to make the jump from Japan in recent memory. The left-handed bat boasts 246 home runs across eight seasons and 892 games in Nippon Professional Baseball, all with the Yakult Swallows. He collected 36 home runs as a 19-year-old in his first full campaign at the top level and owns the record for the most runs in a single campaign, cashing in 56 round trippers in 2022.

Last season, Murakami missed considerable time on the sidelines while he dealt with an oblique injury, but still showed that he can hit the long ball, collecting 22 home runs in just 187 at-bats while finishing with a .273/.379/.663 slash line. For his career, Murakami owns a .270/.394/.557 line with his impressive home run total, 647 RBIs, and a .951 OPS. Baseball fans may also recall the moonshot he hit off Merrill Kelly during the World Baseball Classic championship game in 2023, tying the game at 1-1 in the second inning.

While he carries considerable power, Murakami is not without his flaws.

Scouts worry about his contact rates in the big leagues and that he won’t be able to shake the strikeout numbers that follow. Outside of his condensed rookie season and the missed time in 2025, Murakami has struck out 115+ times in every other campaign, highlighted by his 180 punchouts in 2024, and has owned a 28% strikeout rate or greater. It’s a trait that follows big league bats with considerable power, and the White Sox will hope that the plus whiffs come with some additional home runs to their up-and-coming squad.

With this deal, Murakami signs a shorter contract that puts him back into free agency at 27; a short-term gamble to see if his power and strikeout concerns can play in the MLB. Murakami’s posting date was set to expire tomorrow, so this deal comes just before he would be forced to return to the NPB.

For the White Sox, they add an intriguing power bat that will fit on a roster looking to gain some momentum amongst a younger crew. Highlighted by Kyle Teel, Colson Montgomery, Edgar Quero, and Chase Meidroth, with Luis Robert Jr. still patrolling centre field, Murakami gives the lineup some considerable power that should help the White Sox try to avoid being at the bottom of the AL Central in 2026 and beyond.

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