Munetaka Murakami to Join White Sox on a 2-Year Deal

Slugger Munetaka Murakami has signed a two-year contract with the Chicago White Sox, the MLB team announced on Sunday, December 21.

The four-time NPB All-Star, who played for the Central League's Tokyo Yakult Swallows from 2018-25, agreed to a $34 million USD (¥5.3 billion JPY) contract.

Murakami's new deal includes a $1 million (nearly ¥16 million) signing bonus. His salary will be $16 million (¥2.5 billion) for 2026 and $17 million (about ¥2.7 billion) for '27.

The Kumamoto native, who turns 26 in February 2026, won the Central League Triple Crown in 2022 with a .318 batting average, 56 home runs and 134 RBIs. He broke the NPB record that season for most homers by a player born in Japan. (All-time great Sadaharu Oh belted 55 round-trippers in 1964 for the Yomiuri Giants.)

Murakami became a fixture in the Swallows lineup in 2019 and slugged 36 home runs as a 19-year-old. Two years later, he smacked 39 homers and won his first CL MVP accolade.

His impressive offensive contributions helped lead the Swallows to back-to-back Japan Series appearances in 2021 and '22. The Swallows won the title in 2021, their first since 2001. 

After his Triple Crown campaign, during which he repeated as MVP, he clubbed 31 homers and drove in 84 RBIs in 2023. But Murakami's batting average plummeted to .256. He also struck out 168 times that season.

In 2024, Murakami posted similar numbers: a .244 average with 33 homers, 86 RBIs and 180 strikeouts.

He only appeared in 56 games in 2025, missing most of the season with an oblique injury. But Murakami showcased his impressive power-hitting skills in limited playing time. In 224 at-bats, he whacked 22 homers and drove in 47 runs.

Aspirations to Play in MLB

After winning the Triple Crown in 2022, Munetaka Murakami reflected on his future goals during a news conference at the Japan National Press Club in Tokyo.

"Of course, I want to try," he said. "I don't know how old I'll be, but I'm still young, so the sooner the better."

Murakami joins the rebuilding White Sox via the posting system, a working arrangement between MLB and NPB that enables Japanese players to leave their NPB teams before becoming free agents. In order to sign a contract with an MLB team, a player must be posted by his NPB club. A player then has a 45-day window to negotiate and sign a contract with an MLB club.

If the deadline passes and no deal is reached, that player remains under contract with his NPB club for one more season.

The deadline for Murakami to sign with an MLB team for 2026 was Monday, December 22 at 5 PM EST (Tuesday 7 AM JST).

In addition to Murakami's future salary, the White Sox will pay a $6.75 million (¥1 billion) posting fee to the Swallows. The amount fulfills the requirement of 20% of a posted player's first $25 million (about ¥4 billion) of a contract.

Infield Versatility

Munetaka Murakami played at both infield corners during his many seasons with Yakult. But starting in 2021, he was primarily featured at third base.

All told, he saw time at first base in 263 games and appeared at third base in 696 games, according to baseball-reference.com.

Overall Numbers on Offense

In 892 NPB games, Murakami had a .270 average with 246 home runs and 647 RBIs. He also had 146 doubles. In 3,117 at-bats, he struck out 977 times. 

By signing Murakami, the White Sox have shown confidence that the left-handed hitter will help bolster their offense over the next couple seasons ― or perhaps even longer.

The White Sox went 60-102 this past season, finishing in last place in the AL Central Division. 

An introductory news conference was scheduled for Monday.

Did You Know?

Three Japanese players competed for the White Sox in past seasons.

Former Swallow manager Shingo Takatsu, a relief pitcher, was the first to do so. He wore Chicago's uniform in 2004-05.

After Takatsu, second baseman Tadahito Iguchi (2005-07) and outfielder Kosuke Fukudome (2012) also played for the White Sox. 

RELATED:

• [JAPAN SPORTS NOTEBOOK] Munetaka Murakami Achieves a Big Career Milestone
• Murakami, Okamoto Spark Japan Over Italy and Into WBC Semifinals
• [NPB NOTEBOOK] Triple Crown Winner Munetaka Murakami Has MLB Aspirations

Author: Ed Odeven

Find Ed on JAPAN Forward's dedicated website, SportsLook. Follow his [Japan Sports Notebook] on Sundays, [Odds and Evens] during the week, and X (formerly Twitter) ＠ed_odeven.