Chicago White Sox slugger Munetaka Murakami sure knows how to meet the moment.
The White Sox hosted a bobblehead day for the Japanese sensation during a Sunday matchup against the Houston Astros at Rate Field in Chicago, Ill. Here’s the aforementioned bobblehead below, in all its glory.
The box for today’s Munetaka Murakami bobblehead giveaway is elite 🔥 pic.twitter.com/f5MewXf4Qx
— Mune On 35th (@SoxOn35th) July 26, 2026
The 26-year-old Murakami, who entered the game on a home run drought, put on quite the performance for the fans who showed up for his collectible giveaway.
Murakami worked a full count against Astros starter Ronel Blanco with a man on and nobody out in the first inning. The South Side Samurai smashed an 88-mph slider deep to left field for a home run, putting Chicago up 2-1.
Munetaka Murakami homers on his bobblehead day 😤 pic.twitter.com/sKg47fBQFr
— MLB (@MLB) July 26, 2026
Murakami bookended his outing with a second home run in the eighth inning to the other end of the field.
Munetaka Murakami has done it again!
— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) July 26, 2026
(via @MLB)pic.twitter.com/tHL4wNOHur
The White Sox star finished with an unreal line: 3-for-5 at the plate with a pair of home runs and 6 RBIs in a 12-3 win.
Up until Sunday, Murakami had not hit a homer in the 11 games since returning from a hamstring injury that had him on the IL from May 30 to July 9. The power of the bobblehead may have broken him out of his slump. The fact that Murakami’s parents threw out the first pitch of the game also must have helped.
Munetaka Murakami's parents threw out the first pitch today to celebrate his bobblehead day 🥹 pic.twitter.com/onxO9ea5vI
— MLB (@MLB) July 26, 2026
The two homers pushed Murakami’s home run total to 22, putting him within reach of a Japanese rookie record once held by Shohei Ohtani.
