White Sox slugger Munetaka Murakami started at cleanup and first base against the Tigers on the 19th (20th Japan time), lining a go-ahead RBI single to left in his first at-bat with two outs and a runner on second in the 1st inning. The team made that single run stand up, grinding out a 3-1 win on just four hits thanks to a gritty pitching effort, moving a step closer to the postseason. Still, Murakami’s own batting average remains stuck at a lowly .203, and on 5ch, comments praising the clutch hit mixed with others pointing out his high strikeout count and low average.
What people said
1AnonymousSep 20, 2026 08:17
<White Sox 3-1 Tigers> ◇September 19 (20th Japan time) ◇Rate Field
White Sox infielder Munetaka Murakami (26) started at cleanup and first base, going 1-for-4 with 1 RBI.
In his first at-bat, with two outs and a runner on second in the 1st inning, he lined a go-ahead RBI single to left.
3AnonymousSep 20, 2026 08:18
His strikeouts are down, huh?
21AnonymousSep 20, 2026 08:28
Re: #3
2-for-4, .500
Doesn't look like it's gone up… I guess?
4AnonymousSep 20, 2026 08:18
That's less "thanks to Murakami" and more "all on the pitching staff"
6AnonymousSep 20, 2026 08:19
Guess the pitchers actually showed up for once
Even if they make the postseason, that staff won't get them through
7AnonymousSep 20, 2026 08:19
Don't even bother hitting for average
A .100 average with 30 homers would be way more fun to watch
14AnonymousSep 20, 2026 08:24
At least in year one he's getting a taste of the postseason, on basically a bottom-feeder team no less
17AnonymousSep 20, 2026 08:26
Unlike Ohtani, this guy actually comes through in the clutch
18AnonymousSep 20, 2026 08:27
White Sox
Seriously, just make the postseason already
19AnonymousSep 20, 2026 08:27
Meanwhile the Guardians crushed the Astros today and are still in first place
56AnonymousSep 20, 2026 09:14
Re: #19
Guess they got passed while nobody was looking
20AnonymousSep 20, 2026 08:27
A batting average in the .100s looks bad, so at least keep it above .200
23AnonymousSep 20, 2026 08:29
87 hits against 187 strikeouts — that ratio is just absurd lol
24AnonymousSep 20, 2026 08:30
So what's his Adam Dunn rate looking like? (Dunn: the classic low-average slugger who racks up homers, walks, and strikeouts in equal measure)
25AnonymousSep 20, 2026 08:31
At this point in the season, piling up wins is what matters — one-run game or not, just keep winning
That's the thing though, a team that lost 100 games last year fighting for the next round is kind of fun
Results like this mean even the owner can't keep getting away with fire-selling the prospects
27AnonymousSep 20, 2026 08:34
This has gotta be a "Lance" moment (´・ω・｀)
28AnonymousSep 20, 2026 08:34
Murakami should just go for homers, strikeouts, and walks only 😠
34AnonymousSep 20, 2026 08:41
Re: #28
Please don't aim for the strikeouts though……
63AnonymousSep 20, 2026 09:30
Re: #28
Masaru Uno used to be that type of hitter Re: #33
He'd be best suited chilling as a DH in the bottom of a strong team's lineup
He's exactly the kind of player the Dodgers would want once Ohtani retires — just ten years too early
29AnonymousSep 20, 2026 08:37
The Guardians look like a lock to win again today
Nothing left to do but keep winning
42AnonymousSep 20, 2026 08:53
Re: #29
Yesterday's White Sox game though…
30AnonymousSep 20, 2026 08:37
Sure, he got a lucky hit, but he's still striking out in half his at-bats and his average is on the verge of the .100s
31AnonymousSep 20, 2026 08:40
I wonder how the local fans who said to hand Murakami a blank check feel now
33AnonymousSep 20, 2026 08:40
Murakami's been a disappointment, but having him in the bottom of the order still has to be annoying for opposing pitchers
35AnonymousSep 20, 2026 08:42
Re: #33
That's basically a backup catcher's batting average
36AnonymousSep 20, 2026 08:42
Hope he breaks the postseason strikeout record
37AnonymousSep 20, 2026 08:42
Out of only 4 hits total, that one was a go-ahead RBI single — that's a huge job done
That's what a cleanup hitter is for. This is exactly why batting average alone doesn't tell the story
39AnonymousSep 20, 2026 08:49
Yesterday's loss stings way too much
That's not the kind of loss you can afford with so few games left
40AnonymousSep 20, 2026 08:50
If the Blue Jays lose today's Rangers-Blue Jays game, I think it's safe to call them out of the wild card race
Okamoto did well, but the fact that he's their standout this year just shows how weak the Jays have been
41AnonymousSep 20, 2026 08:53
Would be nice if he had another one of those mystery awakenings right about now and started raking
43AnonymousSep 20, 2026 08:56
Yesterday's string of errors isn't something this can make up for
45AnonymousSep 20, 2026 08:58
Guys who padded their stats in cozy parks like Jingu and Yokohama just don't cut it here
46AnonymousSep 20, 2026 08:59
Murakami, buddy… nobody even brings up Rookie of the Year for you anymore…
48AnonymousSep 20, 2026 09:01
Looks like contract talks could get tricky for both the team and Murakami
Nobody can really predict what kind of numbers he'll put up over the next few years
49AnonymousSep 20, 2026 09:01
If they'd made the playoffs he could've surpassed Ohtani
51AnonymousSep 20, 2026 09:04
So the pitching staff actually held up today
What was yesterday, then?
52AnonymousSep 20, 2026 09:04
Another day, another multi-strikeout quota cheerfully fulfilled
55AnonymousSep 20, 2026 09:12
Anyway, just keep hitting like that, keep winning, and go all the way!
57AnonymousSep 20, 2026 09:15
If his average drops below .200 the team's surely going to be too embarrassed to keep starting him
77AnonymousSep 20, 2026 10:01
.203?! So homers are literally the only thing he's got going for him?
80AnonymousSep 20, 2026 10:07
Re: #77
His walk rate, swing-and-miss rate, and strikeout rate are all off the charts too
Background and Key Points of This Discussion
The thread was split over whether Murakami should be judged by batting average alone. During his NPB career, he racked up home runs in the notoriously compact, hitter-friendly parks of Jingu and Yokohama, and several commenters pointed that out. In MLB, ballpark dimensions and the overall level of pitching league-wide differ, making a direct comparison difficult. At the same time, Murakami’s strikeout and walk rates are both unusually high, leading some to compare him to a hitter like Adam Dunn — low average, but valuable for power and plate discipline. Judged on batting average alone he looks like he’s struggling, but fans are split on how to weigh a single clutch hit like this go-ahead RBI. The team, meanwhile, is in the thick of a wild card race after ceding first place to the Guardians, and the shakiness of the pitching staff was another hot topic.
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