How Munetaka Murakami became an instant home run s...
Key takeaways
- If I had a longer at-bat, maybe I could figure him out," Thompson said.
- The 26-year-old Chicago White Sox rookie has taken the league by storm over the first six weeks of the season, combining epic blasts with a keen eye at the plate.
- "All we know is the way he's hitting here is different from the way he was hitting in Japan," Thompson told ESPN not long after giving up that 451-foot blast to Murakami.
Why this matters: a sports story that could shift standings, legacies, or fan conversations.
Munetaka Murakami is blasting homers at a torrid pace -- and proving the teams that passed him over wrong with every long ball. AP Photo/Jessie Alcheh)Jesse Rogers May 8, 2026, 07:00 AM ETClose Jesse joined ESPN Chicago in September 2009 and covers MLB for ESPN.com.Follow on XMultiple Authors Email Print Open Extended Reactions CHICAGO -- It took just one pitch for Arizona Diamondbacks reliever Ryan Thompson to learn what many pitchers have this season: If you make a mistake to Munetaka Murakami, you're going to pay for it.
"I threw him one pitch, and he hit it 700 feet. If I had a longer at-bat, maybe I could figure him out," Thompson said.
The 26-year-old Chicago White Sox rookie has taken the league by storm over the first six weeks of the season, combining epic blasts with a keen eye at the plate. Murakami is one homer behind Aaron Judge for the MLB lead with 14 home runs to go with a .369 on-base percentage and 55 strikeouts. So far, he has been the epitome of the three-true-outcomes player.