White Sox’s Munetaka Murakami is doing Frank Thomas things to start MLB career

Rookie first baseman Munetaka Murakami has been a revelation for the Chicago White Sox in 2026. Some of his stats even look similar to franchise icon.

Through his first 55 games, Murakami has walked 42 times and holds a .561 slugging percentage. Those are the same exact marks Frank Thomas put up in the same time span, via Jay Cuda.

For Thomas, those 55 games came in 1990, where he hit .330 with seven home runs and 31 RBIs over 60 total games. That was just a taste of what was to come though. Over his first full season in 1991, Thomas hit .318 with 32 home runs, 109 RBIs and a league-leading 138 walks. From there, the first baseman put together a Hall of Fame career.

Murakami has now played in 56 games at the major league level. He has hit .242 with 20 home runs and 41 RBIs, which bold lead the American League. His batting average may not look like Thomas’ but his power stroke has been undeniable.

If he continues hitting like this, Murakami will be the frontrunner for American League Rookie of the Year. As it stands, he leads all rookies in home runs and ranks second to only Sal Stewart of the Cincinnati Reds in RBIs. Murakami’s .566 slugging percentage also leads all rookies amongst players with 11+ games played.

The first baseman has massive shoes to fill if he really wants to be compared to Thomas. But thus far, he has been an absolute steal for the White Sox. On a two-year contract, the only question is if Chicago will sign him to a long-term contract.

The post White Sox’s Munetaka Murakami is doing Frank Thomas things to start MLB career appeared first on ClutchPoints.