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Aaron Judge is supposed to own the American League home run race, even the MLB home run race. That is the natural order. He is the Yankees’ giant, the league’s premier power bat, and the guy everyone expects to be sitting on top of the board when summer ends. Except Munetaka Murakami apparently missed the memo.
MORE: 5 MLB hitters who are underperforming based on their advanced metrics
Judge is still where he belongs – near the top of the sport. He hit his 16th home run Sunday against Milwaukee, giving him the league lead again. But Murakami has made this a real race, not a novelty act. The White Sox rookie slugger entered the weekend tied with Judge for the Major League lead after blasting his 15th homer, and the way he got there matters almost as much as the number.
Chicago White Sox first baseman Munetaka Murakami (5) watches his three-run home run against the Los Angeles Angels during the seventh inning at Rate Field. Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images
Murakami homered in his eighth straight series opener, which is a Major League record. That is absurd. Not fun rookie trivia absurd – actual record-book absurd. He also tied Judge with that shot before Judge nudged back ahead, and he has been doing it in a White Sox lineup that does not exactly give pitchers nightmares from top to bottom.
Judge has the Yankees machine around him. He gets traffic, protection, lineup pressure, and national oxygen every night. Murakami is doing this in Chicago, where every home run carries more weight because the settings around him are thinner.
Mar 29, 2026; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Chicago White Sox first baseman Munetaka Murakami (5) reacts after hitting a solo home run in the second inning against the Milwaukee Brewers at American Family Field. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-Imagn Images
The flaw for Murakami is obvious – strikeouts. Murakami can get exposed, and the swing-and-miss is for real. But elite power hitters come with tradeoffs, and if the tradeoff is ugly at-bats, you live with it. Happily.
Judge remains the safer bet to take the title, no doubt. He has the track record, the lineup, and the experience of carrying a home run race into September. But Murakami has already changed the conversation.
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MORE: 5 MLB hitters who are underperforming based on their advanced metrics
Aaron Judge Still Leading the Charge
Judge is still where he belongs – near the top of the sport. He hit his 16th home run Sunday against Milwaukee, giving him the league lead again. But Murakami has made this a real race, not a novelty act. The White Sox rookie slugger entered the weekend tied with Judge for the Major League lead after blasting his 15th homer, and the way he got there matters almost as much as the number.
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Chicago White Sox first baseman Munetaka Murakami (5) watches his three-run home run against the Los Angeles Angels during the seventh inning at Rate Field. Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images
Murakami’s Historic Rookie Power Surge
Murakami homered in his eighth straight series opener, which is a Major League record. That is absurd. Not fun rookie trivia absurd – actual record-book absurd. He also tied Judge with that shot before Judge nudged back ahead, and he has been doing it in a White Sox lineup that does not exactly give pitchers nightmares from top to bottom.
Different Situations, Same Power
Judge has the Yankees machine around him. He gets traffic, protection, lineup pressure, and national oxygen every night. Murakami is doing this in Chicago, where every home run carries more weight because the settings around him are thinner.
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Mar 29, 2026; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Chicago White Sox first baseman Munetaka Murakami (5) reacts after hitting a solo home run in the second inning against the Milwaukee Brewers at American Family Field. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-Imagn Images
The Biggest Concern With Murakami
The flaw for Murakami is obvious – strikeouts. Murakami can get exposed, and the swing-and-miss is for real. But elite power hitters come with tradeoffs, and if the tradeoff is ugly at-bats, you live with it. Happily.
Judge Still the Favorite
Judge remains the safer bet to take the title, no doubt. He has the track record, the lineup, and the experience of carrying a home run race into September. But Murakami has already changed the conversation.
— Enjoy free coverage of the top news & trending stories on The Big Lead —
Continue reading...
