It was a bit disappointing to see the Cleveland Guardians pass up on signing international star Munetaka Murakami this past offseason.

The 25-year-old slugger signed with the Chicago White Sox on a measly two-year, $34 million deal, making him an instant low-risk, high-reward signing.

And now, to begin the 2026 campaign, he has been one of the league's best home run hitters, making him a true threat for the Guardians' success in the American League Central moving forward.

Munetaka Murakami’s current full-season pace:

66 HR

116 Runs

132 RBI

132 BB

.595 SLG

.979 OPS

163 wRC+

6.0 fWAR

Steal of the offseason. pic.twitter.com/6xKzQGBd9t

— Just Baseball (@JustBB_Media) May 2, 2026

On Monday, May 4, Murakami finally hit something other than a home run after his incredible start to the season. He knocked a double, his first non-home run extra-base hit of the season.…