The White Sox did not have to wait too long to see how Munetaka Murakami's powerful left-handed swing would translate to the big leagues. The former NPB superstar, who made his MLB debut on Thursday in Chicago's 14-2 Opening Day loss against the Brewers, homered for his first big league knock.
Murakami's ninth-inning homer was window dressing on a tough defeat for the White Sox, but it was a significant swing nonetheless. He took a 1-1 cutter from Jake Woodford and deposited it 384 feet into the right-field stands at American Family Field. Murakami also showed plate discipline in his four at-bats, walking twice.
The 26-year-old slugger hit 246 homers over eight seasons in Japan and topped out at 56 in 2022. The White Sox aren't exactly expecting that kind of total in Year 1, but Murakami is certainly off to a strong start.