Munetaka Murakami, the Tokyo Yakult Swallows slugger who was posted to MLB this winter, has agreed to a two-year, $34 million deal with the Chicago White Sox. Wearing his familiar No. 5, the 25-year-old will join a rebuilding franchise as a centerpiece of the lineup and begin his long-awaited challenge in the Major Leagues.
Contract details and posting conditions
The White Sox announced the agreement on December 21. Murakami’s 45-day posting window had been set to expire shortly afterward, making this a late but significant move in the offseason. Reports indicate that, in addition to the $34 million guaranteed over two years, the Swallows will receive a posting fee of roughly $6.575 million, with the potential for more through performance bonuses.
| Team | Chicago White Sox |
| Term | 2 years (2026–2027) |
| Total guarantee | $34 million |
| Acquisition method | NPB posting system |
| Posting fee | Approx. $6.575 million (plus incentives) |
| Age | 25 |
| Uniform number | 5 |
| Projected role | First base / third base / designated hitter |
The short, two-year structure is notable. Murakami will be eligible for free agency, rather than arbitration, after the 2027 season, giving him a chance to re-enter the market at age 27 if he proves he can adjust to MLB pitching.
Who is Munetaka Murakami?
Murakami is a right-throwing, left-handed power hitter from Kumamoto, Japan. Drafted by Yakult in 2017, he became Central League Rookie of the Year in 2019 and quickly developed into one of NPB’s most feared sluggers.
| Born | February 2, 2000 (Kumamoto, Japan) |
| Bats / throws | Left / right |
| Primary positions | Third base, first base |
| NPB career line | .273 /.394 /.550, 265 HR, 722 RBI (1,003 games) |
| Major awards | Central League MVP (2021, 2022), Triple Crown (2022), Rookie of the Year (2019) |
His 2022 season stands out as one of the greatest offensive campaigns in Japanese professional baseball history: a .318 average, 56 home runs and 134 RBIs, giving him a historic Triple Crown and breaking the single-season home run record for a Japanese-born player.
Internationally, Murakami helped lead Japan to the 2023 World Baseball Classic title. He delivered a walk-off double against Mexico in the semifinals and crushed a towering home run against the United States in the final, proving he can do damage against MLB-caliber pitching.
Fit with a rebuilding White Sox
The White Sox are emerging from three straight 100-loss seasons and are in the middle of a deep rebuild. With the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 MLB Draft and a growing young core, the organization needs impact talent to accelerate the process and re-energize its fan base.
Murakami’s left-handed thunder is exactly what the lineup has lacked, but the move is not without risk. His strikeout rate has climbed in recent years, and scouts have raised questions about how his contact skills will translate against high velocity and sharp breaking balls in MLB. Defensively, he has experience at third and first base, but could see significant time at designated hitter while the club evaluates his glove.
Still, posting a 1.000+ OPS with 22 home runs in just 56 NPB games during an injury-shortened 2025 season shows that the raw power is very much intact. If he stays healthy and makes the necessary adjustments, Murakami could quickly become one of the most dangerous hitters in the American League Central.
Statements from Yakult and Murakami
Yakult announced on its official website that Murakami had successfully reached an agreement with the White Sox through the posting system, and published a long message from the slugger thanking coaches, teammates and staff who supported him from his childhood through his professional career.
Murakami described this move as finally standing on the “starting line” of his dream and expressed his determination to give everything he has in the Major Leagues. He also shared his excitement about playing baseball in Chicago and on the MLB stage, while asking fans in Japan to keep supporting and pushing him from afar.
First impressions and what comes next
At his introductory press conference in Chicago, Murakami opened with a short greeting in English and even pulled out a pair of white socks to the delight of fans and local media, a playful gesture that immediately endeared him to “White Sox Nation.”
The 2026 White Sox are not an instant contender on paper, but with Murakami anchoring the heart of the order alongside a wave of prospects, the club suddenly has a clearer offensive identity. Over the next two seasons, the question is not only how many home runs Murakami can hit on the South Side, but also whether his performance will set him up for a mega-deal when he returns to free agency at 27.
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