South Side Hit Pen

The Munetaka Murakami Era is Officially Underway for the White Sox

The overseas standout officially reported for White Sox Spring Training on Sunday morning.
Elias Schuster|
Dec 22, 2025; Chicago, Il, USA; New Chicago White Sox player Munetaka Murakami gives a thumbs up after a press conference where he was introduced at Rate Field. Mandatory Credit: Matt Marton-Imagn Images
Dec 22, 2025; Chicago, Il, USA; New Chicago White Sox player Munetaka Murakami gives a thumbs up after a press conference where he was introduced at Rate Field. Mandatory Credit: Matt Marton-Imagn Images | Matt Marton-Imagn Images

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Chicago White Sox

You may need to pinch a Chicago White Sox fan today.

The organization shocked the baseball world with one of the more aggressive offseasons in Major League Baseball. Alongside a slew of interesting veteran pick-ups to pair with their long list of high-upside young talent, GM Chris Getz pulled off the unthinkable. The White Sox came out as the winners of the Munetaka Murakami race.

Murakami had emerged as one of the most fascinating free agent names after some stellar play in Japan. He was a two-time Central League MVP who built a reputation for having one of the most explosive bats the country had ever seen. He currently holds the record for the most home runs in a single season in Nippon Professional Baseball history (56).

Murakami also made a name for himself during the last World Baseball Classic. Many remember him hitting a game-tying 432-foot bomb against the USA to help Japan pull off the championship in 2023. The night before, he sent a hard-hit ball off the center field wall for an epic walk-off win.

One of the worst teams in baseball over the last handful of years – as well as one that has been known to limit its spending – the White Sox never truly felt in the running for the overseas sensation. But their willingness to ink him to a higher-value, shorter-term deal paid off and signaled an exciting new team-building approach for the franchise as a whole.

Indeed, the Sox have already started to treat Murakami like their star in the making. News spread that they decked out their clubhouses with bidets to make it feel a little more like home for the power hitter. He's also seemingly due for an extremely warm welcome in Arizona (no pun intended), where Murakami officially arrived on Sunday!

Word first broke that Murakami was expected to arrive at Sox camp this weekend on Saturday, and the cameras confirmed as much only a handful of hours later. Plenty of photos and videos have now emerged of the exciting new addition, giving fans their first look at him in black and white.

Check it out:

It's likely only a matter of time before the White Sox start flooding their official social media with Murakami content, so be sure to keep an eye out. With that said, fans are still going to have to wait a couple more weeks for their first real look at Murakami in action. The full squad doesn't have to report to Camelback Ranch until February 15.

The White Sox also aren't scheduled for their first Cactus League matchup until February 20, where they will take on their crosstown rival at Sloan Park.

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Elias Schuster
ELIAS SCHUSTER

Elias Schuster is a sports journalist and content creator from the northern suburbs of Chicago. A graduate from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, he has covered the Bulls since 2019-20 and previously served as the editor of BN Bulls at Bleacher Nation. He has been the Publisher for Bulls On SI since December of the 2025-26 season. When he isn't obsessing over hoops, Elias spends his time obsessing over practically every other sport – much to his wife's dismay. He also loves strolling the streets of Chicago for the best cozy bar or restaurant to set up shop and write his next article.

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