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PHOENIX, ARIZONA - APRIL 21: Munetaka Murakami #5 of the Chicago White Sox reacts in the dugout during the eighth inning of the MLB game at Chase Field on April 21, 2026 in Phoenix, Arizona. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)

The Chicago White Sox had been waiting out a three-hour rain delay. They had watched the Los Angeles Angels build a lead and stretch it through the middle innings. By the time the seventh inning arrived, most of the fans still in the building had earned whatever came next.

What came next was Munetaka Murakami.

One swing from Mune flipped a 5-4 deficit into a 7-5 lead. The White Sox won 8-7, and by the time it was over, just before midnight at Rate Field, the baseball world had noticed.

Mune at Midnight

The moment arrived late, but it arrived loudly.

Murakami had gone hitless across nine straight at-bats with five strikeouts before a first-inning single broke the skid. The rally built piece by piece. Murakami stepped in with two men aboard and a one-run deficit and launched it into the stands.

“I wanted to hit it in front and get something out of it. That’s what I did,” Murakami said through an interpreter.

The moment was summed up on social media perfectly.

@whitesox: “MUNE AT MIDNIGHT!”

@BaseballWRLD_: “DAILY MUNETAKA MURAKAMI HOMER JUST DROPPED The MLB leader with 12 bombs. On pace for 67 of them. He is absolutely sick”

@MLB: “List of players with more HR than Munetaka Murakami this year:”

@SlangsOnSports: “Mune to the moon!!! Murakami with: 48 degree launch angle 6.1 sec hang time There have only been 8 over-the-fence home runs under Statcast (2015) with a higher launch angle”

GettyCHICAGO, ILLINOIS – APRIL 27: Munetaka Murakami #5 of the Chicago White Sox celebrates hitting a three-run home run during the seventh inning against the Los Angeles Angels at Rate Field on April 27, 2026 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Geoff Stellfox/Getty Images)

The Records That Followed

Murakami’s 12th home run did more than win a game.

It put him atop the MLB home run leaderboard, one clear of Yordan Alvarez and Aaron Judge. His 12 homers are the 4th most in a player’s first 29 career games.

Every one of Murakami’s first 12 extra-base hits has been a home run. The previous record for such a streak to open an MLB career was 10, set by Dae-ho Lee in 2016. Murakami has broken it with room to spare.

For anyone still getting acquainted with the name, the context matters. Before arriving in Chicago, Murakami built one of the most decorated careers in modern Japanese baseball, claiming the Triple Crown and consecutive MVP honors in the NPB. He arrived in the majors as a proven force. The adjustment has been seamless where it matters most.

GettyCHICAGO, ILLINOIS – APRIL 27: Munetaka Murakami #5 of the Chicago White Sox breaks his bat while hitting a single during the first inning against the Los Angeles Angels at Rate Field on April 27, 2026 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Geoff Stellfox/Getty Images)

The Bigger Conversation Around Murakami

With Murakami leading MLB in home runs through 29 games, the performance did more than generate highlight clips. It started a conversation.

@MaxMannis: “I think now is a fair time to start asking… the White Sox would be incredibly dumb to not flip Murakami at the deadline, right?”

Murakami is on pace for 67 home runs. The MLB world is paying attention.

Final Word for the White Sox

A rain delay. A four-run deficit. A game that ended near midnight.

Murakami did not care about any of it. He stepped in with two men on and the White Sox trailing and sent the ball into the stands. By the time it came down, the game had turned.

Twelve home runs. Twenty-nine games.

The records keep coming. So does the noise.