Where the Original Argument Makes Sense
As a follow-up to my article, Munetaka Murakami to the Yankees Makes Sense, it’s important to mention some of the things the original article discussed. Even though the Dodgers and Yankees were considered contenders for Munetaka Murakami, the New York Yankees and the Dodgers, as we know now may have actually been the worst fit for the 26-year-old Japanese superstar. I don't think that's a reach. The article doesn't ignore the flaws. Murakami's production dipped over the last two seasons before he came over, but that doesn't mean he couldn't get back to his old form. At the same time, the critics weren't exactly making things up when they pointed to his strikeout rate over 27% and his low batting average against pitches over 94 mph.
The Injury Explanation Is Worth Considering
The part that made me pause was the injury explanation. Murakami has had problems against breaking balls from lefties and off-speed pitches from right-handed pitchers, so going back to his 2021 and 2022 MVP seasons makes sense. I still don't totally know what to do with 2023, and I don't think the article fully solves that either. But 2024 is easier to understand because he had surgery at the end of the year. That makes me wonder if he was playing through something for longer than people realized. If that was the case, it could've affected his swing decisions and helped push him into becoming more of a pull-heavy hitter.
The Mechanical Breakdown Is the Strongest Part
The mechanical breakdown is probably the strongest part of the article, even if it feels like something that could use more time. During his MVP seasons, Murakami's stance looked different from the one he used when things started to go sideways from 2023 to 2025. I won't lean too hard on 2025 because the sample is smaller, but the visual difference is hard to ignore. Back in 2021 and 2022, he looked more upright and kept the bat pointed toward the sky more consistently. That probably helped him stay on time and use more of the field. Later on, the bat wiggle became more noticeable. That matters because he also uses a leg lift. When both movements have to sync up perfectly, there's just more that can go wrong. You can see how that turns into strikeouts, pulled balls, forced swings, and a lower batting average.
The 2026 Numbers Add More Context
That’s why the 2026 numbers make this whole discussion more interesting. Murakami eventually signed with the Chicago White Sox instead of the Yankees or Dodgers, so now the article can be reviewed with actual MLB results attached to it. And honestly, the power has shown up. He's already at 30 home runs, 61 RBI, a .482 slugging percentage, and an .832 OPS through early September with Chicago. That's a real bat. But the batting average hasn't followed, since he's around .211. So the original concern still matters. The question was never power. It was contact.
The strikeouts are the part I keep coming back to. A strikeout rate over 27% was already a concern before he came over. In 2026, it's around 34%, with 161 strikeouts in 468 plate appearances. That's a lot. It doesn't ruin the profile because he's walking near 17.5%, which is why the on-base percentage still sits around .350. But the swing-and-miss is still hard to ignore. You can't really review the original article without admitting that part of the concern has aged pretty well.
The batted-ball data is why I still wouldn't write him off, though. A 93.9 mph average exit velocity, around a 57% hard-hit rate, and a barrel rate over 19% are loud numbers. That isn't normal contact. That's damage. But then you look at the expected batting average around .207 and the whiff rate over 42%, and it brings you right back to the swing. When he's on time, it looks great. When he isn't, the moving parts show up fast. The bat wiggle, the leg lift, the pull-side approach — it all works until it doesn't. So when he falls into one of those recent slumps, it feels less like a random cold stretch and more like those old habits creeping back in.
The lefty split also matters because it fits the same pattern. He's hit roughly .198 against lefties compared with about .260 against right-handed pitchers in 2026, which lines up with the article's point about breaking balls from southpaws being a problem. Against righties, the profile is easier to buy into. He walks, he hits the ball hard, and he can punish mistakes. Against lefties, it feels more fragile because the contact issues show up quicker.
So, after looking at it again, I think the original article mostly holds up better now than it did before. The White Sox signing changes the context, but it doesn't really erase the Yankees angle. If anything, the 2026 numbers make things clearer. Murakami is still dangerous, still patient, and still extremely powerful. He's also still flawed, and that is the whole point. His recent slumps seem tied to the same old habits the article pointed out: extra movement, loose timing, and too many swings that pull him off the ball. The Yankees wouldn't have been chasing a perfect hitter. They would've been betting on a rare power bat and hoping they could smooth out the timing issues before the strikeouts swallowed too much of the profile.
Why the Yankees No Longer Feel Like the Right Fit
The Yankees are no longer a fit for the young slugger. They may have even made things worse because of the high expectations that come with the Yankees franchise. They have a history of signing superstars who underperform. Joey Gallo, Josh Donaldson, Sonny Gray, Javier Vazquez, Jacoby Ellsbury, Carl Pavano, and even Randy Johnson come to mind. The list goes on and on with Giancarlo Stanton, Frankie Montas, and Andrew Benintendi.
Some have retired, and some are still playing. It’s not a fair comparison because some played for the Yankees later in their careers, while others were closer to the middle of their careers. But the Murakami narrative fits because he may have been an even bigger star in Japan than some of the mentioned players were in MLB at the time of their signings. Not all of them, of course, as Stanton and Sonny Gray were clearly stars in their own right.
Why the Pressure Could Have Hurt Him
It’s crazy that as soon as some of them became Yankees, they seemed to become average, injury-prone, or one-dimensional players. Either they pushed themselves too hard, or they hit a point in their careers where they couldn’t perform, whether because of age or timing. But the point is that many of them became nearly invisible as Yankees, or at least more forgettable than expected. Murakami going to the Yankees would’ve stifled his progress. The environment is different, the expectations are different, and the crowd behavior is different.
Why Chicago Is The Right Fit
Even though Murakami has had his ups and downs in Chicago, the crowd has been very patient with him. This environment is similar to the one that helped make him successful in Japan. And if he gets really comfortable and has faced all the major starters in the division, he could perhaps return to the MVP version of himself from 2021-2022. The NPB and MLB are different leagues, but we know that he’s capable of getting hot in streaks that result in towering homers.
Key Takeaways
· Murakami’s power was never really the issue. His 2026 numbers with the White Sox show that the raw damage is still there.
· The bigger concern is still contact. The strikeouts, whiffs, and low batting average make the old timing concerns look real.
· His recent slumps seem connected to the same habits mentioned earlier: extra bat movement, loose timing, and a pull-heavy swing.
· The Yankees may have made sense on paper, but the pressure in New York could’ve made those flaws harder to fix.
· Chicago may give Murakami more room to adjust, get comfortable, and work his way back toward the MVP-level hitter he was in Japan.
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