A 10-15 start isn’t exactly noteworthy, but the White Sox are only 3 1/2 games back in the AL Central after winning four of their past six games.
A common trend recently? Home runs by rookie slugger Munetaka Murakami, who went deep in five straight games and has 10 homers in his first 25 games in the Majors. Only Houston’s Yordan Alvarez has gone deep more (11 times) so far this season. Murakami is 12-for-27 (.444) over his past six games, driving in 10 runs.
“He’s exceeded our expectations,” White Sox general manager Chris Getz said. “We knew he was going to be a good player, but he’s got the makings of an elite offensive performer and it’s happening quicker than I thought.”
Murakami signed a two-year, $34 million deal with the White Sox this winter, though there were questions about whether his massive strikeout rate in Japan would be even worse in the Majors. Although he ranks in the 12th percentile in strikeout rate and the bottom 2 percent of the league in whiff percentage, Murakami has drawn 21 walks (98th percentile) and ranks among the top of the league in on-base percentage (.394), slugging percentage (.598), OPS (.992), runs scored (19), RBIs (19) and total bases (52).
“I’m most impressed with the consistency of his at-bats,” Getz said. “His swing decisions have been elite, he makes adjustments throughout his at-bats, works pitchers into throwing mistakes and then pounces on them.”
Under-the-radar slow start
The Red Sox have a 9-16 record after losing five of their last six games -- including a sweep at the hands of the Yankees -- leaving last-place Boston with the second-worst record in the American League.
After an 89-win season that saw the Red Sox return to the postseason for the first time in four years, there was plenty of optimism in Boston heading into the 2026 season. But a 1-5 road trip to open the season and 2-8 overall start put the Sox in an early hole, and while barely a month of games is hardly reason to write them off, there have been some areas of concern that will have to get better if the Red Sox are to turn their season around. The Red Sox are ranked 14th of 15 AL teams in runs scored and dead last in home runs and OPS.
“I have been surprised to see the lack of power from their offense,” a National League executive said. “To see the trio of [Marcelo] Mayer, [Roman] Anthony and [Jarren] Duran with one home run apiece is certainly a bit surprising.”
Duran’s presence on the roster to start the season was surprising to some executives around the league, because the Red Sox are overloaded in the outfield with Anthony, Ceddanne Rafaela and Wilyer Abreu joining Duran in the crowded mix. Even after taking a statistical dip in 2025, Duran -- who is hitting .197 with a .568 OPS in 20 games -- was considered to be a prime trade chip during the offseason, but the Red Sox opted not to move him.
“You hold on to Duran all offseason and rebuff overtures for him,” an AL executive said. “I don’t know what you could even get for him right now.”
Another red flag has been the performance of Garrett Crochet, last year’s AL Cy Young Award runner-up, who has a 7.88 ERA in his first five starts. The left-hander ranks in the bottom third of the league in whiff percentage, hard-hit percentage and ground-ball percentage, three categories in which he ranked in the top 25 percent a year ago.
“Crochet’s velocity is a concern and definitely something to monitor,” an NL exec said. “[The Red Sox] deserve a lot of credit for that trade and that extension, but people forget his MLB innings last year basically matched the prior three years combined, so it wouldn't be that surprising to see some fatigue this year.”
Stewart providing a spark
The Reds’ 16-9 start has them tied with the Cubs atop the NL Central, though a look up and down Cincinnati’s lineup shows a number of hitters off to subpar starts.
Four Reds regulars had an OPS of less than .600, while Eugenio Suárez was at .663 through 25 games. Elly De La Cruz has done his part to carry the offense (eight home runs, .879 OPS), but rookie first baseman Sal Stewart has been the best hitter on the club, hitting eight homers with a 1.004 OPS, leading the NL in RBIs (24) and slugging percentage (.615).
“Sal has been a great middle-of-the-order hitter for us,” Reds president of baseball operations Nick Krall said. “He has a disciplined approach at the plate, and he has worked really hard on both his offense and defense to get where he is today. He brings an infectious energy to the team every day. He has been a lot of fun to have around this group.”
A 2022 first-round Draft pick, Stewart ranks in the 98th percentile of the league in barrel rate, 83rd percentile in hard-hit rate and 82nd percentile in walk rate. If there has been an early flaw, it’s been his defense; Stewart -- who was primarily a third baseman in the Minors -- ranks in the 13th percentile in Outs Above Average (-2).
“The bat is real and the power is real,” one AL scout said. “He's more of a bat-first guy, so the question for me was where to play him. I saw him quite a bit the last two Spring Trainings and I saw him as an impact middle-of-the-order bat. He does chase spin and will go through some growing pains when teams develop a book on him, but I think he will make adjustments and put up numbers.”