
Watch Japan's Munetaka Murakami Make MLB HR History After Debut, White Sox Star Reacts to Record
It looks like the Chicago White Sox found a gem, as first-year slugger Munetaka Murakami got his MLB career started in a big way this past weekend.
Murakami hit a home run in three consecutive games, becoming the first Japanese player in MLB history and the fourth overall to record three homers in three games since their major-league debut.
"I'm truly grateful and happy that I was able to keep that kind of record, but like I said before, there's still a long way to go and a lot of ways to improve," Murakami said through interpreter Kenzo Yagi, per Scott Merkin of MLB.com. "So, that is what I'll keep on doing in the upcoming days."
Despite Murakami's scorching start, the White Sox were swept by the Milwaukee Brewers to start out the 2026 season with a 0-3 record. Chicago has finished last in the AL Central in each of the last two seasons amid its ongoing rebuild, but Murakami has given the organization a reason for optimism.
While his production has been impressive so far, Murakami said he feels he still has a lot to learn as he adjusts to life in the majors. He will only get better as he gets more comfortable with the White Sox.
"Definitely opposing pitchers are mixing it up, and it's really hard to really find out what they're going to throw," Murakami said. "I study and analyze these situations as much as possible, utilizing even our pitchers as well through the PitchCom, depending on the situation. I'll listen to it and see what kind of pitches our pitchers make so that we can kind of translate that into my game when I'm facing opponents. Each and every at-bat is learning, and each and every situation is learning for me so that I can keep growing on that experience."









