Sports
No. 2 scorer Stojakovic returns to loaded Illinois
Andrej Stojakovic is back at Illinois for his senior year, boosting their title hopes!
ESPN News1 min read
MLB
Munetaka Murakami cannot save the White Sox from this 'D-' grade
TL;DR
Munetaka Murakami's performance with the Chicago White Sox has not been enough to lift the team's overall struggles, leading to a 'D-' grade. Despite hitting five home runs, the team has the worst batting average in MLB and has scored only 60 runs.
Key points
- Munetaka Murakami signed with the Chicago White Sox
- He has a batting average of .167
- Murakami has hit five home runs in 19 games
- The White Sox have the worst team batting average in MLB
- The team has scored only 60 runs so far
Munetaka MurakamiChicago White Sox
Munetaka Murakami cannot save the White Sox from this 'D-' grade originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Chicago White Sox fans were jumping for joy when they learned their team was the lucky one to sign Munetaka Murakami. They knew he had power, and he wasted no time showing that off.
Across 19 games, the Japanese slugger is hitting .167/.346/.417 with five home runs and nine runs batted in. And while the batting average isn't great, he is tied for the 12th-most home runs across MLB.
The problem is that he is nearly the only person doing anything worth writing home about offensively. They have the worst team batting average in the league and have only scored 60 runs so far, which is the second-least in baseball.
MORE:White Sox turn to local product Sam Antonacci for first MLB at-bat vs. Rays
Munetaka Murakami cannot save the White Sox from this 'D-' grade
On top of the little bit the offense is going, the pitching staff is not much better. Starting pitchers and the bullpen have struggled, compiling a 5.91 team ERA, which is also good for second-worst.
Not having a good offense or a good pitching staff is not ideal, and the White Sox will have to figure this out quickly if they don't want to dig too deep a hole early.
Bleacher Report's Kerry Miller isn't sold on the club turning this around, giving them a failing grade.
"White Sox (6-13): D-
The good news is Munetaka Murakami is hitting the ball well with five home runs and an OPS north of .800. The bad news is no one else on this team has been able to hit the broad side of a barn while Opening Day starter and 2025 All-Star has already been optioned back to Triple-A."
Q&A
What is Munetaka Murakami's batting average with the White Sox?
Munetaka Murakami is currently hitting .167 with the Chicago White Sox.
How many home runs has Munetaka Murakami hit this season?
Munetaka Murakami has hit five home runs across 19 games this season.
Why do the White Sox have a 'D-' grade?
The White Sox received a 'D-' grade due to having the worst team batting average in the league and scoring only 60 runs, the second-least in baseball.
