Murakami’s redemption arc leads White Sox into October
Munetaka Murakami stood on the field at Daikin Park on Wednesday before Game 2 of the wild-card series, chatting with Astros pitcher Tatsuya Imai and former big leaguer Kazuo Matsui. For the White Sox first baseman, the moment carried extra weight: he was no longer fighting through a slump. He was carrying his team deeper into October.
The All-Star slugger’s path to this moment was not straight. During an early September series in Houston, Murakami went 1-for-14 with eight strikeouts, his swing plane careening toward an extreme uppercut that turned solid contact into lazy fly outs. The struggles continued—a brutal 4-for-40, 24-strikeout stretch that stretched into late September. But the White Sox hitting staff saw something worth fixing.
The video session that changed everything
Hitting coach Derek Shomon sat down with Murakami and walked through the tape: here’s what you looked like at your best, here’s where you’ve drifted, here’s how to get back. No blame, just objective feedback and a clear path forward.
“We showed him some information from when he was at his best, kind of an objective feedback presentation, and he took well to it,” Shomon told the Chicago Sun-Times.s what you looked like at your best, here’s where you’ve drifted, here’s how to get back.
“We showed him some information from when he was at his best, kind of an objective feedback presentation, and he took well to it,” Shomon told the Chicago Sun-Times. “This is what it looked like in the setup through the initial move, through the forward move, through contact, and this is what’s gotten you away from it. Now take it and run with it.”
Murakami also revamped his leg-strengthening routine. A more stable lower half meant better balance in the batter’s box and more consistent barrel control. The changes came together: over his final 10 regular-season games, Murakami hit .263/.378/.684 with four home runs, signs that full power was returning.
“It’s a new start,” Murakami said through an interpreter. “It’s a start for a new beginning again. A big, long postseason run.”
A central figure in historic turnaround
The White Sox’s presence in October itself is historic. Chicago lost at least 100 games for three straight seasons, including a devastating 121-loss campaign in 2024. No team in MLB history has ever made the postseason after two consecutive 100-loss seasons. The 2026 White Sox became the first, clinching a playoff berth on Sept. 24 with an 84-78 record—better than the defending AL West champion Houston Astros.
Miguel Vargas has been the club’s best overall player. Chase Meidroth, when healthy, has matched that production with advanced metrics and defensive grit. But in October, when bullpen usage intensifies and teams tighten their approach, home run power becomes more valuable than ever. Murakami in full working order is exactly that weapon.
Murakami showed out with an impressive performance against the Astros in Game 1, and the White Sox jumped out early against a bullpen game from Houston, holding on for a 6-3 victory on the road. One more win closes out the series and sends Chicago to the Division Series.
The journey from Yakult to October baseball
Murakami’s presence in Houston carried its own significance. He had starred for the Yakult Swallows in Nippon Professional Baseball before making the jump to MLB. Standing on the field with Imai—a pitcher for the Seibu Lions—and Matsui, who spent seven seasons in the big leagues with the Mets, Rockies and Astros, Murakami represented a growing pipeline of Japanese talent reshaping American baseball’s landscape.
The slump in September tested his mental resilience. The hitting coach’s intervention tested his humility. Both lessons matter in October, where margins compress and adjustments must come faster.
What comes next
The White Sox aim to close out the Astros on Wednesday, with ace right-hander Sean Burke (11-7, 3.34 ERA) facing Houston’s Hunter Brown (6-4, 3.19 ERA). Brown has been stingy against Chicago this season, posting a 2-0 record with a 1.38 ERA in matchups with the Sox.
For Murakami, another step in the postseason run depends on the same elements Shomon preached: setup, initial move, forward move, contact. A refined swing ready for playoff baseball.
s Hunter Brown (6-4, 3.19 ERA). Brown has been stingy against Chicago this season, posting a 2-0 record with a 1.38 ERA in matchups with the Sox.
A rookie’s swing, refined and ready.
Reporting from Suntimes, Sporting News and USA Today contributed to this story.