Munetaka Murakami: superhero power and a historic record
In Chicago, nobody is talking stats any more – only something close to superpowers. On Wednesday night in Phoenix, despite the White Sox’s 11-7 loss to the Diamondbacks, Munetaka Murakami carved his name into franchise folklore. By homering for a fifth straight game, the Japanese slugger matched a record that had stood for decades, joining icons like Frank Thomas and Paul Konerko. His 454-foot blast, the longest of Chicago’s 2026 season, pretty much left the park at 113 mph.
The secret is written on his belt
If Murakami looks untouchable, it’s because he is drawing strength from a personal message. Before the game, he revealed that his belt carries a Japanese inscription, a piece of advice from his high school coach. The message? Tough it out. At first base, the idea is to stay patient through the hard stuff and keep pushing towards success. Right now, though, the hard stuff is scarce: since arriving from Japan on a $34 million deal, he has turned almost every trip to the plate into a power show.
Quicker than Ohtani and Chicago’s legends
Murakami’s numbers after just 24 MLB games are eye-watering. As well as matching the franchise mark for the longest home-run streak, he has joined Shohei Ohtani for the record for consecutive games with a home run by a Japan-born player. He has also become the fastest player in White Sox history to reach 10 home runs, wiping out a mark that dated back to 1934.
The Murakami effect is rubbing off on everyone. For the first time in league history, two team-mates – Murakami and Colson Montgomery – have homered in four straight games. “I’m running out of words to describe what he’s doing,” manager Will Venable admitted. Even with 32 strikeouts, the Japanese prodigy has stayed disciplined at the plate, drawing 21 walks and posting a .404 on-base percentage.
A tense finish to the series
Even with all that offence – 15 home runs in the last 5 games for the team – the White Sox were beaten on Wednesday. But Murakami isn’t fussed about individual praise. Stung by the loss, he is already focused on the next game and on taking the series. If he goes deep again on Thursday, he will stand alone as the franchise record-holder and add another line to modern baseball history.
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