Munetaka Murakami knows how to make a first impression.
In the first inning of the Chicago White Sox’s game against the Seattle Mariners on Friday, Murakami crushed an opposite-field homer off starting pitcher Emerson Hancock. It’s his 15th homer of the season, tying Aaron Judge for the MLB lead.
The Statcast numbers: 106.2 mph off the bad, 380 feet traveled.
Friday was the series opener between the White Sox and Mariners, which is relevant because MLB notes that Murakami has now homered in eight straight series openers. That’s a new MLB record, breaking a mark previously held by Eddie Murray in 1987.
Granted, it’s a very specific record, but it’s not as though Murakami lucked into it. The streak goes back to April 14 against the Tampa Bay Rays, a stretch of time in which he was hitting .288/.400/.675 entering Friday.
Murakami’s homer continues one of the most surprising MLB performances of the young season. The slugger famously had to settle for a two-year, $34 million deal with the White Sox after years of hype as the next great Japanese slugger, mostly due to concerns about how an already high swing-and-miss rate would play after the transition from Japan to MLB.
The answer has so far been a ton of strikeouts — Murakami led the American League with 55 entering Friday — but more than enough power and plate discipline to make him an effective hitter. It remains to be seen if he will keep it for an entire season (or MLB career), but it’s certainly been fun to watch.
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