NEWYou can now listen to PK Press Club articles!
Chicago White Sox rookie infielder Munetaka Murakami hasn’t had a plausible start: he’s off to a torrid start.
Here are Murakami’s first 53 MLB games by the numbers (230 plate appearances):
1: Murakami is first among MLB rookies in home runs (18), RBIs (37), slugging percentage (.540), OPS (.914), runs scored (37) and walks (41). He also leads the White Sox in each of the aforementioned categories, as well as on-base percentage (.374).
3A: Murakami had three or more hits in four games.
3B: He ranks third among rookies with 1.6 wins above replacement.
3C: Despite the absurd display of power, Murakami only managed three doubles.
4: Murakami’s 18 home runs in his first 53 games place him fourth for most home runs to start a career over that span, according to MLB.
18: Murakami leads the American League with 18 home runs, which ranks second in MLB overall.
37: His 37 RBIs are tied for fourth in the AL.
41: He is fifth in MLB with 41 walks.
48: Murakaki played both first and third base in Japan (2018-25), but he primarily played at the hot corner. However, with the White Sox he made 48 starts at first base, three as the team’s designated hitter and zero at third base.
76: Of course, the other side of facing a mammoth powerhouse can be a huge number of strikeouts, as Murakami is tied for fourth in MLB with 76 strikeouts.
97: Murakami ranks in the 97th percentile in MLB in average exit velocity (94.0 mph), according to Statcast.
98: He ranks in the 98th percentile in the sport in hard hit percentage (58.0%) and barrel percentage (20.5%), according to Statcast.
139: Murakami’s on-base percentage (.374) is .139 higher than his batting average (.235).
155: Murakaki leads the White Sox with a 155 OPS+.
914: His .914 OPS is 12th in MLB.
