MILWAUKEE — The Chicago White Sox didn’t have many highlights on opening day against the Milwaukee Brewers.
But first baseman Munetaka Murakami provided one during his ninth inning at-bat against Jake Woodford.
Murakami took a cutter inside for a ball and then foul tipped a changeup. The third pitch was a cutter over the middle of the plate, and Murakami hit it 384 feet for a solo home run to right field.
“It came off a great angle from the bat,” Murakami said through an interpreter when asked if he was certain the ball would remain fair. “It was more in the front of the bat, but I was pretty confident.”
The homer also served as the first hit of Murakami’s major-league career. The Japanese slugger went 1-for-2 with two walks during his major-league debut, which came in the 14-2 blowout loss Thursday at American Family Field.
“(The home run) was great, a great day overall for him,” manager Will Venable said. “Controlled the zone really well. To get that one out of the way was nice for him, great swing.”
Murakami is known for his power, having hit 246 home runs during eight seasons with the Tokyo Yakult Swallows. He also displayed a strong eye at the plate.
“I was able to look at the ball really well,” Murakami said. “I was really patient in the box and I was seeing the ball very well. I’ll try to keep that up and get comfortable at the (plate).”
The Sox, who signed Murakami to a two-year, $34 million deal in December, are hopeful that’s a sign of things to come.
“Controlled the zone, make them pay for mistakes, did a great job,” Venable said. “That’s what we’re expecting from him.”
White Sox first baseman Munetaka Murakami is introduced before making his MLB debut against the Brewers at American Family Field on March 26, 2026, in Milwaukee. (Patrick McDermott/Getty)
Sox hitters struck out 20 times. Murakami and center fielder Luisangel Acuña were the only batters in the Sox lineup not to strike out.
Murakami’s two walks came against Jacob Misiorowski, who struck out 11 while surrendering one run — a leadoff home run from Chase Meidroth — on two hits in five innings.
“It was purely exciting to go against that strong of a high-caliber player,” Murakami said. “I had fun facing him.”
Murakami grounded out in the seventh. He made the most of his final at-bat of the game in the ninth. Afterward, he was happy to get the baseball.
“It was a special occasion and I’m really happy the ball came back,” he said. “Also in Japan, the fans tend to return the ball back. So I’m relieved it came back to me.”
As for what he plans to do with the ball, Murakami said, “I’ll probably send it home back in Japan.”
Following Wednesday’s team workout, Murakami discussed some of the areas of the game where he has had to make adjustments.
“As I’m getting used to the rules obviously about the pitch clock, the timeouts, limitation on timeouts — as I get more at-bats along the season, I’ll definitely think about what I can do into the routines as much as possible and try to figure out where I am comfortable,” Murakami said. “It’s more about getting into at-bats and feeling more comfortable along the way.”
He has appreciated the support from his new teammates.
“The teammates help out a lot, just normal communication overall,” Murakami said Wednesday. “And basically, we had lots of chemistry going in. It’s still the start of the season, but as we go toward the end we will build more chemistry and foundation.”
Murakami enjoyed taking his first step as a major-leaguer Thursday, but the loss was foremost on his mind.
“I’m truly grateful I was able to take the field as a baseball player in the major leagues,” Murakami said. “It’s Game 1 of 162, so I’ll keep preparing for whatever is out there starting with today.
“It was a really exciting experience. I was kind of surprised, I was fairly collected in the box and in the game as well. But it was a great atmosphere and I was relieved to be here.”