Muneshot Murakami

There are few players I was more excited to see enter the big leagues this year than Munetaka Murakami. Especially because he has already torn it up in the big leagues, just not the ones in North America. It was surprising to see him sign with the White Sox, but it was an intriguing gambit for both sides. The result, thus far, has been the ultimate Kyle Schwarber/Joey Gallo type. It feels like any time that Murakami is at the plate, he’s going to homer, walk, or strike out. In yesterday’s action, he checked off two of those boxes, striking out twice and hitting an absolute moonshot errr “muneshot” of a grand slam in the seventh. It’s shocking that somehow, he only hit that thing 431 feet, as it honestly feels like that ball was going to do an Artemis-style flyby. Murakami also had two singles in the game, which is always fun to see from an all-or-nothing type of hitter. His second single was hit particularly hard, coming in at nearly 110mph, which amazingly was only his second hardest hit ball in the game.

I really like what Murakami brings and I hope he can stick with the White Sox. That franchise deserves a fun player. Though it is understandable if they choose to move him at the deadline or in the offseason, considering the contract length and his overall affordability. Let’s enjoy him in the Southside while we can, as his powerful swing is really a sight to see.

 

Let’s see how the other hitters did on Friday:

 

Max Muncy (LAD): 3-4, 2B, 2 HR, 2 R, 3 RBI.

I cannot believe that I am talking about Max Muncy again. Last week, I covered his amazing three-homer game where he walked it off in epic fashion, climbing to #3 on the Dodgers’ home run leaderboard in the process. In that article, I mentioned that it is a real possibility that he makes his way up to #1 one day. With games like that one and this one, that’s looking more and more likely. Muncy’s decision-making hasn’t looked as good this year compared to last, as he is swinging and missing much more and walking less. He’s hitting the ball harder, though, and that is contributing to games like this one and last week’s. It’s cool to see some of the less hyped Dodger stars being the ones to bring them to victory, especially with Andy Pages also tearing the cover off the ball.

Austin Riley (ATL): 2-5, 2 HR, 2 R, 4 RBI.

Atlanta’s lineup has looked legitimately frightening as of late, with many of the team’s cornerstone hitters showing up and smacking the ball around. Austin Riley decided that it was his turn and casually hit two home runs in a complete routing of the Phillies. Neither of these homers was hit particularly deep, as they were both only out in less than half the ballparks, but the Braves, Riley, and fantasy managers will take it. The basic and underlying numbers show that Riley’s best days may be behind him, but he still hits cleanup in a very potent lineup. He is also known to sometimes go on ridiculous hot streaks in the middle of the summer, so perhaps we will see one of those again, and the rest of the league will be doomed.

Heliot Ramos (SFG): 1-4, HR, R, 4 RBI, BB.

It was a massive RBI game for Ramos today off the back of a monster three-run shot in the top of the second to give his team an early lead. Later in the game, he collected his fourth run batted in with a bases-loaded walk, the nail in the coffin for the Nationals. It hasn’t been a particularly pretty season for Ramos, as while he was always a flawed hitter, he’s showcased plenty of pop. This game was his first home run of the year, which has to have made some people a bit concerned if he wasn’t going to be showing his best offensive tool. This is a step in the right direction, and I hope he can continue to turn it around.

Moisés Ballesteros (CHC): 2-2, HR, R, 3 RBI.

Opposing pitchers check under their beds every night for Moisés Ballesteros. This kid can RAKE. He immediately set the tone for the Cubs, hitting a three-run opposite field homer early in the game giving the Cubs a lead that would prove to be insurmountable. He then followed it up by getting a single in his next plate appearance, before getting the hook for a Matt Shaw pinch-hit appearance. Ballesteros now has a 186 wRC+ on the year, which while this likely will go down, is still an impressive way to start his first full season.

Brandon Lowe (PIT): 3-5, 2 2B, 2 RBI.

This game was a dish of revenge. The Rays traded Lowe to the Pirates in mid-December of last year in a move that I’m not sure will work in their favour. Lowe definitely had this game circled, as the Rays were the only Major League organization he had known, and honestly, he is definitely one of the best hitters in the history of the franchise. Lowe had three hits in this game, opening with a ground-rule double that showed he came to play. He followed it up with a sharply hit single and then hit one more well-tagged double his last time up in the eighth. Lowe can be a bit of a streaky hitter, especially when he hasn’t always maintained the best health, so if you have him on your squad right now, you’re certainly pretty happy. He’s definitely one of the most underrated players of this generation, as he combines excellent power at the second base position with solid discipline and decent contact skills.

Luisangel Acuña (CHW): 2-4, 2B, R, RBI, BB, SB.

What a satisfying stat line this is to look at for Acuña, a player who has really struggled to find his way with the White Sox. After being traded to the Southside, Acuña has had pretty putrid stats in most games. Stat lines like these show that there is still potential to be had with the player, though I understand many questioning whether he will reach that due to his team environment. I am also really happy to see he’s walked now in back-to-back games he’s played, as his discipline is something that is very concerning. Here’s to hoping he can build off this performance and play like the top prospect he was billed to be!

Otto Lopez (MIA): 3-5, 3B, HR, 2 R, 2 RBI.

I apologize, I wasn’t familiar with your game. Otto Lopez has been on a complete tear this season, which is why I really shouldn’t have been surprised to see this stat line. It’s easy to assume that Lopez is just a singles hitter like a lot of Marlins infielders, but over the past couple of years, we have seen him make major strides in improving his power and his bat speed. He’s barrelling the ball more than ever while still making tons of contact, as his strikeout rate is the same as that of his 2024 season, where he had minimal pop. It might be smart to target him now if he’s available, as you can cash in on this hot streak.

Wyatt Langford (TEX): 3-5, R, RBI.

I think that Wyatt Langford is one of the best examples of a player who will benefit from a larger sample size. He’s had one of the roughest starts to a season and I’m sure many managers are frustrated. I personally was itching to draft him in my leagues, but many believed he would ascend to superstardom this season. This hasn’t happened, and the peripherals are a bit frustrating. The guy who has been known to take plenty of walks is sporting a 4.4% walk rate this year, largely because he’s chasing more frequently. The strikeouts are down, but the quality of contact is also down. Yet, this feels like a fluke, as Langford is one of the toolsiest players in baseball. Yesterday’s game was a pretty funny outing from Langford, as he had three bloopy singles that were maybe not the kind of hits you’d expect from a player of his caliber. Still, if that’s what wakes up his production, we’ll take it.

Ivan Herrera (STL): 2-4, HR, 2 R, 3 RBI.

Speaking of guys you shouldn’t be out on due to slow starts, Ivan Herrera is still a great ball player, folks. Entering yesterday’s action, he was a below-average hitter by wRC+, which fantasy managers could tell you for free as he hasn’t really excelled in any categories thus far. Yet, there’s still so much to like about Herrera’s game that makes him a must hold. There are few players who combine plate discipline with high quality of contact quite like Herrera. He rarely strikes out, as his walk rate this season is actually almost double his K rate. He’s still getting on base at a near .400 clip despite having an abysmal batting average. You’re not going to see a full season of him performing this poorly, not with the underlying data we have. Buy low if you can.