The post Munetaka Murakami addresses White Sox fans in video at SoxFest Live appeared first on Sox On 35th.
Though he couldn’t be there in person, the White Sox’s biggest offseason acquisition still made an appearance Friday night at SoxFest Live.
Japanese first baseman Munetaka Murakami addressed the White Sox faithful in a pre-recorded video that was played at Bridgeport’s Ramova Theater. The message was brief, with the slugger telling the crowd he couldn’t make the event but was looking forward to seeing everyone at Spring Training.
“Hi White Sox fans, I’m Munetaka Murakami. I unfortunately won’t be able to attend the fan fest this season. I’m looking forward to seeing everyone at Spring Training and in Chicago. Go White Sox!
The video marked the first time we have heard from Murakami since his introductory press conference at Rate Field in late December. Even though he couldn’t be at the second iteration of SoxFest Live, any mention of his name got plenty of applause from the crowd.
Murakami’s signing with the White Sox in December came as a shock to much of the baseball world. The 26-year-old heads overseas to the United States and Major League Baseball after eight seasons in Nippon Professional Baseball for the Yakult Swallows of the Japan Central League. During that time, he established himself as a star, hitting .270/.394/.557 with 246 home runs across nearly 900 games.
His best season came in 2022, at the age of 22, when he slashed .318/.458/.710 over 141 games. In that same campaign, Murakami hit 56 home runs to break the record for most hit in an NPB season by a Japanese-born player. Murakami has reportedly been preparing to come to the United States since then, and his contract expired following his 2025 season.
While this will be Murakami’s first major league action, it will not be his first action against non-Japanese competition. The slugger appeared in the 2023 World Baseball Classic, hitting a walk-off two-run double in the semifinal against Mexico and a crucial game-tying home run in the final against the United States, helping Japan ultimately capture the WBC Championship.
Having already announced his commitment for the 2026 tournament, fans will likely get their first true glimpse of him as part of Team Japan, unless he appears in early Cactus League play. The White Sox have their Spring Training opener on Saturday, February 21, with a 1:05 p.m. first pitch scheduled against the Athletics.
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The post Munetaka Murakami addresses White Sox fans in video at SoxFest Live appeared first on Sox On 35th.