Los Angeles Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani took the MLB world by storm with his dominance both in the batter’s box and on the pitcher’s mound, something that was hard to even imagine as feasible before he did it.
The Japanese ace/ slugger has four MVPs to his name, winning the award in the AL in 2021 and 2023 as a member of the Los Angeles Angels, and in 2024 and 2025 for the Dodgers. All four of his MVPs have come unanimously, making him the first player in history to receiver 100% of the first-place votes from the Baseball Writers’ Association of America (BBWAA) multiple times.
Shockingly, the 2026 season has been a struggle for Ohtani. As of Wednesday morning, Ohtani is slashing .240/.370/.427, a major dropoff from his career slash line of 280/.374/.576.
He’s making up for things on the mound, with a 0.97 ERA through six starts, but with him struggling so much in the box, there’s worry brewing that he may be better served focusing on one aspect of the game for the time being.
Another Japanese slugger, however, is having no trouble in the batter’s box. Munetaka Murakami of the Chicago White Sox told reporters ahead of the season that he has “power,” and he is backing up his words.
Murakami’s slash line of .228/.362/.545 shows the impressive power he promised. In fact, the rookie is third in the MLB with 15 home runs. The White Sox first baseman does have a high 34.9 strikeout rate, but he’s also shown enough patience to earn a 17.2 percent walk rate. All in all, he’s the best possible version of a slugger with his profile.
“Because some people who do make critical comments, or have something to say against me, would be somebody who’s not really playing ball,” Murakami told The Athletic, through his interpreter.
“I know who I am, and what kind of challenges I do face every single day. It’s just about proving to the doubters how much I can play in this league.”
It’d be foolish to write off the four-time unanimous MVP with the body of work he has displayed thus far in the big leagues, but as things stand, one of his fellow countrymen has stolen his thunder, literally.
About Qwame Skinner
Qwame Skinner has loved both writing and sports his entire life. In addition to his sports coverage at Comeback Media, Qwame writes novels, and his debut; The First Casualty, an adult fantasy, is out now.