White Sox land Japanese slugger Munetaka Murakami on a two-year deal—injecting sorely needed power and hope into South Side lineups at last.

After three straight years of 100-loss baseball, hope on the South Side has felt like a banned substance. Yet, here we are. The Chicago White Sox made a bombshell signing on Sunday: Japanese superstar slugger Munetaka Murakami is coming to 35th and Shields on a two-year, $34 million deal.

Yeah, you read that right. Real, left-handed, home run power? That hasn’t felt legal in Bridgeport for a minute.

Finally, a Splash Worth Cheering

Murakami’s track record in Japan is ridiculous: two NPB MVP awards, a four-time All-Star, the 2019 Central League Rookie of the Year, and a 2021 champion. Oh, and he shattered the Japanese-born single-season homer record in 2022 with 56 tanks, part of a Triple Crown (.318, 134 RBIs, and those dingers). He’s clubbed 246 home runs in just 892 career NPB games and sports a .270/.394/.557 line.

Last year, even while banged up, he hit 24 bombs with a 1.051 OPS in only 69 games. That kind of pop doesn’t just play at Guaranteed Rate; it could wake up slumbering bats all around this lineup.

This Isn’t Just Nostalgia, It’s a Real Power Move

White Sox fans don’t need reminding: the last time Japanese imports showed up with this much hype, Tadahito Iguchi and Shingo Takatsu, the ending was champagne-soaked. Murakami won’t have to do it all alone either, joining a core of actual prospects who have shown some real upside: Montgomery, Meidroth, Teel, Quero, Smith, Taylor.

Story continues below.

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Some Real Talk, It’s Not All Perfect

Sure, there are questions.

Murakami’s strikeout numbers are up, his OBP dipped a bit post-2022, and scouting buzz says high-velocity and big spin could eat him alive early. Defensively, he’s probably not a long-term third baseman, so expect some DH or first base in his future. It has already been mentioned that he will likely play first, which means Miguel Vargas is likely headed back over to the hot corner.

While the contract is only for two years, it makes this a bit of a two-year audition for Murakami in the MLB, and there’s a posting fee and some incentives baked in. But all things considered, 17 million bucks a year for this kind of upside? That’s a swing Sox fans want to take, especially after wandering in the wilderness while big spenders like the Dodgers and Mets circled, then vanished.

A New Era? Or at Least a Fun One.

Not saying Murakami is the entire solution. But this roster just got a lot more thunder, and for the first time in way too long, the White Sox feel like a team to watch and not just endure. If you’re not at least a little fired up, check your pulse.

Is he the next great South Side hero? We’ll see. But one thing’s for sure: The White Sox are going to light off a few more fireworks in 2026.