Munetaka Murakami Hits 15th MLB Homer, Poised to Challenge Judge's Single-Season 62 Homers
Chicago White Sox's Japanese player Munetaka Murakami hit his 15th home run of the season against the Seattle Mariners, putting him tied with Aaron Judge of the New York Yankees for the major league lead. This home run suggests that Murakami could exceed 60 home runs in a season and potentially challenge Judge's American League single-season record of 62 home runs set in 2022.
📋 Article Processing Timeline
- 📰 Published: May 9, 2026 at 14:55
- 🔍 Collected: May 9, 2026 at 15:01 (6 min after Published)
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: May 9, 2026 at 15:04 (3 min after Collected)
CENTRAL NEWS AGENCY
(Chicago, CNA, May 8, comprehensive foreign wire report) - Chicago White Sox's Japanese player Munetaka Murakami hit a solo home run in his first at-bat in the first inning against the Seattle Mariners today, marking his 15th MLB homer of the season. He is once again tied with Aaron Judge of the New York Yankees for the major league home run lead.
Japanese media outlet Full-Count reported that Murakami, who transitioned to Major League Baseball (MLB) this season, started as the No. 2 hitter and first baseman in this game. Facing Mariners ace starter Emerson Hancock at home, he connected with a 95.4 mph (approximately 153.5 km/h) sinker, hitting a solo shot to left-center field.
Murakami's home run had an exit velocity of 106.2 mph (approximately 170.9 km/h), a flight distance of 380 feet (approximately 115.8 meters), and a launch angle of 32 degrees. The blast was met with enthusiastic cheers from the home crowd.
With this long ball, Murakami is now tied with Yankees captain "The Judge" Aaron Judge for the home run lead.
Murakami has been red-hot since the start of the season, showing an astonishing performance with home runs in his first three consecutive games. Although he experienced a slump in mid-April, he subsequently overcame the dip, tying the longest home run streak for a Japanese player with five consecutive games. He hit 12 home runs in March and April alone. His power has not diminished in May, with three homers in seven games.
The report indicates that at his current pace, Murakami is expected to hit over 60 home runs in a single season and challenge Judge's American League single-season home run record of 62 set in 2022.
Japan Broadcasting Corporation (NHK) reported that in the bottom of the third inning, with the White Sox trailing 2-5 by three runs, Murakami's second at-bat saw him draw a walk with one out and a runner on first, helping the team create an opportunity for an expanded offense. By the end of the third inning, the White Sox had tied the game at 5-5.
However, the White Sox pitchers gave up 12 hits in this game, failing to suppress the Mariners' lineup, and ultimately suffered an 8-12 loss, their third consecutive defeat.
Despite hitting a home run, Murakami did not get any more hits. In this game, he went 1-for-4 with one hit, one RBI, one walk, and two strikeouts, bringing his batting average to .237 after the game. (Compiler: Yang Wei-ching) 1150509
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(Chicago, CNA, May 8, comprehensive foreign wire report) - Chicago White Sox's Japanese player Munetaka Murakami hit a solo home run in his first at-bat in the first inning against the Seattle Mariners today, marking his 15th MLB homer of the season. He is once again tied with Aaron Judge of the New York Yankees for the major league home run lead.
Japanese media outlet Full-Count reported that Murakami, who transitioned to Major League Baseball (MLB) this season, started as the No. 2 hitter and first baseman in this game. Facing Mariners ace starter Emerson Hancock at home, he connected with a 95.4 mph (approximately 153.5 km/h) sinker, hitting a solo shot to left-center field.
Murakami's home run had an exit velocity of 106.2 mph (approximately 170.9 km/h), a flight distance of 380 feet (approximately 115.8 meters), and a launch angle of 32 degrees. The blast was met with enthusiastic cheers from the home crowd.
With this long ball, Murakami is now tied with Yankees captain "The Judge" Aaron Judge for the home run lead.
Murakami has been red-hot since the start of the season, showing an astonishing performance with home runs in his first three consecutive games. Although he experienced a slump in mid-April, he subsequently overcame the dip, tying the longest home run streak for a Japanese player with five consecutive games. He hit 12 home runs in March and April alone. His power has not diminished in May, with three homers in seven games.
The report indicates that at his current pace, Murakami is expected to hit over 60 home runs in a single season and challenge Judge's American League single-season home run record of 62 set in 2022.
Japan Broadcasting Corporation (NHK) reported that in the bottom of the third inning, with the White Sox trailing 2-5 by three runs, Murakami's second at-bat saw him draw a walk with one out and a runner on first, helping the team create an opportunity for an expanded offense. By the end of the third inning, the White Sox had tied the game at 5-5.
However, the White Sox pitchers gave up 12 hits in this game, failing to suppress the Mariners' lineup, and ultimately suffered an 8-12 loss, their third consecutive defeat.
Despite hitting a home run, Murakami did not get any more hits. In this game, he went 1-for-4 with one hit, one RBI, one walk, and two strikeouts, bringing his batting average to .237 after the game. (Compiler: Yang Wei-ching) 1150509
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The text, images, and videos on this website may not be reproduced, publicly broadcast, or publicly transmitted and utilized without authorization.