Munetaka Murakami on Mon, Sep 7, 2026

Murakami walks, singles as sliders dominate; lefty splits remain his biggest concern.

Murakami went 1-for-5 with a walk, two strikeouts, and an RBI in today's game against the Twins. Given how quiet his bat had been over the past several outings, drawing a walk while still producing a hit represents a modest step forward. His season line sits at a .211 batting average and an .828 OPS, and while he had gone largely hitless through much of his last ten games, he has now recorded a hit in back-to-back contests since his home run on September 6 — a small but real sign of life at the plate.

Today's pitch mix tells much of the story. Sliders were the most frequently thrown pitch at nine (41%), averaging 86.7 mph with a 67% strike rate and drawing one swinging strike. Four-seam fastballs followed at seven pitches (32%) but carried only a 43% strike rate, well below the command shown on the slider, which likely contributed to the walk. Changeups made up five pitches (23%) with a 60% strike rate and zero whiffs recorded. Overall, Murakami appeared to lay off fastballs out of the zone while working carefully against a breaking-ball-heavy approach, a disciplined at-bat profile even without much loud contact. His platoon splits remain the more striking number, though: he is hitting .223 with an .880 OPS against right-handers this season (24 home runs in 274 at-bats), compared to just .183 with a .705 OPS against left-handers (6 home runs in 115 at-bats). That nearly 175-point OPS gap points to a clear, ongoing vulnerability against left-handed pitching that opposing clubs continue to exploit.

Taken together, today's line suggests the early stages of a recovery, but Murakami still has real ground to make up to approach his season norms. How he handles left-handed pitching in the games ahead will be the key indicator of whether this uptick is sustainable.