MLB's 'Murakami Legend' Emerges! Munetaka Murakami Hits 23rd Homer in Rookie Season, Surpassing Shohei Ohtani's Record

The Chicago White Sox of Major League Baseball (MLB) faced the New York Yankees at home today. Japanese slugger Munetaka Murakami hit a game-tying solo home run in the bottom of the 8th inning, bringing his season total to 23 home runs. This surpasses Shohei Ohtani’s rookie-season record of 22 home runs, set in 2018 while playing for the Los Angeles Angels, marking a new milestone for Japanese players in MLB.

According to MLB’s official website, Shohei Ohtani played 114 games during his 2018 rookie season and hit 22 home runs. In contrast, Murakami has reached 23 home runs in just 72 games this season, with potential to extend the gap further.

Murakami batted second and played first base at home today. He recorded 1 hit in 4 at-bats with 1 RBI. His key contribution was the solo homer in the bottom of the 8th, tying the game at 4-4. The game went into extra innings, and the White Sox eventually won 6-5 with a walk-off hit in the top of the 12th inning.

Meanwhile, Kazuma Okamoto, another Japanese rookie in MLB playing for the Toronto Blue Jays, has appeared in 106 games this season and hit 24 home runs.

According to Kyodo News, Murakami’s hometown of Kumamoto Prefecture recently suffered severe damage from a strong earthquake, prompting concern from his teammates. Murakami expressed his gratitude, saying, 'Everyone has shown me their concern, and I am truly thankful.'