Munetaka Murakami村上宗隆
The youngest Triple Crown winner in Japanese history is now a Chicago slugger in his rookie season.
Munetaka Murakami came from the Yakult Swallows to the White Sox in a posting deal after the 2025 season. This page covers his Triple Crown season in Japan, his 2026 rookie year, and how posting works.
Profile
| Team | Chicago White Sox |
|---|---|
| Position | Infielder |
| Number | 5 |
| Born | Feb. 2, 2000 (age 26) |
| Hometown | Kumamoto |
| Throws and bats | Throws right, bats left |
Profile details checked Nov. 4, 2026 against MLB.com and major news outlets.
Season stats
2026 (Daily Sports (Japan))
Stats refresh each morning from MLB data.
Career timeline
- 2017
Drafted first overall by Yakult.
- 2019
Central League Rookie of the Year in his second season, playing all 143 games.
- 2022
Hits .318 with 56 home runs and 134 RBIs to win the Triple Crown at 22, the youngest in NPB history and the first in the Reiwa era.
- 2025
Misses time with an upper-body injury, then hits 22 home runs in 56 games after returning. In December, signs with the White Sox through the posting system for two years and $34 million.
- 2026
Hits 35 home runs, a record for a Japanese-born rookie in MLB, and makes the All-Star team. Finishes at .207 with 77 RBIs and a .825 OPS in 127 games, according to Daily Sports. Misses about a month with a right hamstring injury in June and July.
What is the Triple Crown?
A Triple Crown means leading the league in batting average, home runs and RBIs in the same season. It takes contact, power and clutch hitting at once.
Murakami did it in 2022 with a .318 average, 56 home runs and 134 RBIs. At 22 he was the youngest in NPB history.
How does posting work?
Posting lets a Japanese club allow a player to negotiate with MLB teams. The MLB team that signs him pays a fee to his old club.
For Murakami, the fee going to Yakult was reported at about $6.575 million.
Latest from Japan
Murakami went from rookie favorite to finalist, and Japan is still counting the home runs
In May, an MLB.com panel ranked Munetaka Murakami the AL's top rookie. By October, Detroit's Kevin McGonigle had the players' award.
Frequently asked questions
- What team and number does Murakami wear?
- He plays for the Chicago White Sox and wears number 5.
- How much is his White Sox contract worth?
- Two years and $34 million, announced by the White Sox in December 2025.
- When did he win the Triple Crown?
- In 2022, with a .318 average, 56 home runs and 134 RBIs. At 22 he was the youngest ever.