Category: Sports News

Picture this. A player with unfathomable power who obliterates every ball he makes contact with and a decent understanding of the strike zone. Picture that player also with a very steep bat path that creates a massive hole in his swing that makes them extremely prone for in-zone whiffs, to the point where they can go stretches where making contact would be an accomplishment.

Who am I describing? Maybe, for older fans, Rob Deer comes to mind. Perhaps Adam Dunn or Mark Reynolds, the real three-true-outcome pioneers. Maybe it’s Joey Gallo, whose tenure in New York is still a fresh wound to some. Hell, it can describe late-career Giancarlo Stanton to an extent.

Some of the more prospect-minded of you probably thought of Spencer Jones and, if we’re being honest, that’s pretty reasonable, but the player I’m specifically describing has nothing to do with the Yankees at the moment: Munetaka Murakami. Just look at that Baseball Savant page!

The former NPB star signed a surprisingly cheap two-year deal with the Chicago White Sox in the offseason after his once-nine-figure value fell apart after injuries and startlingly bad contact numbers slowed down the hype train in Japan. There were real concerns that he just wouldn’t be able to make enough contact against major league pitching for his undeniable, generational power to take hold. That also sounds familiar, no?

In reality, the prospect Jones and Murakami are extremely similar hitters. I’d say Murakami has better plate discipline, as he’s had a very impressive start in terms of chase rate, but Jones makes up for it with his startling raw power. Both have big holes in their swings in terms of in-zone contact (Jones 60.2%, Murakami 68.5%) that rank towards the bottom of professional baseball, but both run solid walk rates. As pure baseball players, you could argue Jones has a higher floor with his plus-speed and defense at a more premium position than first base, where Murakami has been OK after a disastrous time at third base in the NPB, but that isn’t what we’re focusing on.

With all the similarities between them, what Murakami does should be watched by not only Yankees fans, but the Yankees’ organization. If he flounders with prolonged slumps against the pure nastiness of MLB pitching, that could prove to be a concerning sign for Jones. On other hand, success from Murakami in spite of his flaws could provide a roadmap for Jones, who is 15 months younger and on the doorstep of the major leagues.

The overall range of Murakami’s damage thus far has been centered on absolutely demolishing bad pitches. He enters Tuesday with an average exit velocity of 99.6 mph on pitches in the heart of the plate with a .571 xwOBA, elite numbers on pitches that are meant to be crushed.

One of the most damning stats on Murakami in NPB was his struggles against high velocity, but even though most pitchers in MLB nowadays are capable of throwing 95, there are still softer throwers that Murakami has been able to feast on. Of his eight home runs to this point, just one of them was hit off a fastball over 94.5 mph, which was a 98.3 mph heater from Elvis Alvarado over the weekend.

So far, he has just two hits all season on pitches above 95 mph and a whiff rate above 30 percent, but he’s still managed to put good swings on the ball and is actually underperforming the expected stats. As you might expect with a tremendously high strikeout rate and a low chase rate, that means a whole lot of whiffs in the zone:

If we compare these to Jones, the Yankees’ prospect is doing even more damage on pitches over the heart of the plate (.602 xwOBA, 102.3 avg EV) but is whiffing more (31.3 percent) in Triple-A. Against 95+, Jones is running an untenable 53.6 Whiff%, but is obliterating the ball when he makes contact. That’s been the story of both of their seasons, which is what makes them theoretically such similar players.

There’s no doubt in my mind that Jones would be on the major-league roster of maybe 10 teams across the majors with his tremendous upside, but he finds himself blocked in the Yankees’ system, which has three big-money starting outfielders, but a spot could open up soon, whether that’s next year, or midseason. If someone gets hurt, there’s a chance he’s first up instead of his fellow prospect-in-limbo Jasson Domínguez after being added to the 40-man roster in the offseason.

If there’s any player across the league that we should keep a close eye on, it’s Murakami. There’s no better comp for Jones as he gets closer and closer to making his MLB debut, and what Murakami does over the course of his first major league season could give us a major clue regarding Jones’ chances of making it in the bigs.

Game Summary

The Marlins jump Leahy for an early 2-0 with death by a thousand cuts singles with too many walks sprinkled in. The Cardinals come out swinging against Junk (literally and figuratively), but muster only a weak single against him. Leahy labors through 5 innings, giving up 8 hits, 3 walks, 1 HBP and 4 runs. Not his best day. The getaway Cardinal lineup musters but 4 hits and it took a ninth solo HR by Herrera avoids a shutout. The getaway lineup was not particularly sharp defensively, either. On the bright side, the Cardinal bullpen navigated 3 IP without giving up a run or a walk. That was pretty much the bright spot of the day.

Line-up (and roster) machinations

• An early start today, noon Eastern.
• A getaway day line-up today, if there ever was one. For both sides.
• Leahy takes the mound for the Cardinals. Ironically, Junk takes the mound for the Marlins. Queue the jokes.
• Burleson gets a day. Gorman into the three hole and playing third.
• Urias is the back-up first baseman, it turns out. Hitting clean-up.
• Winn gets a day, too. Saggese in at short.
• Walker gets a day, too. Church in right, Fermin in left.
• No Pozo? I missed the news that he is redshirting this year.

The Game Details

T1 – Wetherholt F7 on the first pitch. Herrera F8. Gorman lines out L8. Quick inning.

B1 – 1-3. 3u. 4-3. Leahy gets through a quick inning.

T2 – Urias reaches on E5. Fermin promptly GIDP. Church K’s. Guess they can’t hit Junk.

B2 – Single. Single. FC at third. RBI single. HBP. As efficient as the first inning was, this has been the opposite. P2. Bases loaded walk after 0-2 count plates another run. 4-3 closes out the inning. Marlins up 2-0.

T3 – Sags 5-3. Pages singles to break the no-no by Junk. Scott II forces Pages at second. Lots of swings today, typical of getaway day. It’s funny how plate discipline wanes on these days. Wetherholt F8.

B3 – K. L8. Walk. What is with these walks? It is an epidemic. All four balls were “waste” pitches. Totally non-competitive. F9.

T4 – Herrera F8. Gorman F7. Urias 6-3. A seven-pitch inning. Junk at 36 pitches through four innings. Cardinals trying to get him a complete game.

B4 – 1-3. Another walk. He is missing by a lot! Most of his pitches are non-competitive. Not much on the borderline. Single. An RBI single, but Church does get the backside runner going to third for the second out. 9-5 is the scoring. Stolen base. Urias makes a nice play 3-1 to end the inning. Marlins now up 3-0.

T5 – Pages F8. Saggese K. Church earns a walk. Fermin hits into hard luck out 5-3.

B5 – Single. 4-3 advances a runner who was on the move with the pitch. An RBI single, followed by another single signals that Leahy is really laboring. A caught stealing and a K re-direct the inning to a more positive end. Leahy is assuredly done. His line through 5 innings – 8 hits, 3 walks, 1 HBP and 4 runs. 89 pitches, only 50 for strikes.

T6 – Nardi in for Junk. He pitched 5 shutout IP, 1 hit, 1 BB. Scott K. Wetherholt K. Herrera 4-3. Ho-hum.

B6 – Graceffo in. Single. Single. F8 and GIDP allow GG to make a good recovery. Still Marlins up 4-0.

T7 – Gorman doubles. Bender in for Nardi. Urias F8. Fermin backwards K. Saggese’s struggles continue 6-3.

B7 – Svanson in for Graceffo. K. F7. 6-3. Good inning for a guy that needed one.

T8 – Petersen in for Bender. Pages backwards K. Scott swinging K. Wetherholt backwards K. Been that kind of day.

B8 – Fernandez in for Svanson. K. E-3. Single loads the bases. P6. K. Ends the uprising.

T9 – Bachar in for Petersen. Herrera with a lead-off solo HR. Gorman walks. Urias P6. Fairbanks in for the save. Fermin F7. Church K to end the game after an 8-pitch PA. 4-1 Marlins in your final.

Post-Game Notes

• Check out Today on the Farm – Wednesday 4/22 for updates on MiLB action. Two teams play day games today.
• After the game today, a flight home followed by an apparently well-timed off day. Seattle comes into town for a weekend tilt, which will be a very brief 3-game homestand.
• Paid attendance for this game was less than 7,600. Actual attendance well less than that. These teams drew better in Spring Training at RDS.

1900
After a loss debuting in the American League on April 21, the White Sox split the weekend and got in the winning column with a 5-3 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers in front of a Sunday crowd of 15,000 fans at South Side Park.

The deciding run came in the seventh inning, snapping a 3-3 tie, when left fielder Dan Lally singled home right fielder Herm McFarland on a hit-and-run. Lally, McFarland and shortstop Frank Shugart all collected two hits apiece in Chicago’s 11-hit attack. Starter Roger Denzer got the complete game victory.

1940
In his season debut, sixth career game and fourth career start, Vallie Eaves set a White Sox record that still stands, with 12 walks over 7 2/3 innings in a 6-5 loss vs. Detroit. The rookie fell behind in the second inning after four walks, a wild pitch, a double and triple — but escaped the inning down just 2-0! Another three walks and a wild pitch saw Eaves get the hook in the eighth inning — amazingly, the righty left the game with a 5-3 lead and ended up with an adequate game score of 46, given his seven strikeouts. He walked in two of Detroit’s three runs on his watch, but it was Clint Brown out of the White Sox bullpen who blew the game, and Eaves’ shot at his first White Sox win.

Just 13 pitchers have ever thrown more than 12 walks in a single game, with two of them coming against the White Sox — including a 14-walk game, tied for fourth-most ever.

1955
It was the first time the White Sox ever played in Kansas City, and outfielder Jim Rivera would make it a memorable night by scoring what would be stand up as the deciding run in the 5-4 victory. Chico Carrasquel had the biggest night for the victors, going 4-for-5 with a double and a home run. Chicago improved to 5-2 on the season.

And stay tuned to Today in White Sox History, because the very next day packed an even bigger wallop.

1959
In one of the most bizarre innings in baseball history, the White Sox got 11 runs in the seventh inning of a 20-6 win at Kansas City.

The uniqueness of it was that fact that those 11 runs scored on only one hit! It took 45 minutes to play the half-inning, with Johnny Callison getting the only Sox hit. Jim Landis made two of the three outs, both on comebackers to the pitcher.

Through six innings, the White Sox trailed Kansas City, 6-1. Here is the play-by-play of the historic proceedings from there:

1. GORMAN REPLACED WARD (PITCHING)
2. Ray Boone reached on an error by DeMaestri [Boone to first]
3. Al Smith reached on an error on a sacrifice bunt by Smith [Boone to second]
4. Johnny Callison singled to right [Boone scored (unearned) (error by Maris), Smith scored (unearned) (error by Maris), Callison to third]
5. Luis Aparicio walked [Aparicio stole second]
6. Bob Shaw walked
7. EARL TORGESON BATTED FOR SAMMY ESPOSITO
8. FREEMAN REPLACED GORMAN (PITCHING)
9. Torgeson walked (walk was charged to Gorman) [Callison scored, Aparicio to third, Shaw to second]
10. Nellie Fox walked [Aparicio scored, Shaw to third, Torgeson to second]
11. Jim Landis forced Shaw (pitcher to catcher) [Torgeson to third, Fox to second]
12. Sherm Lollar walked [Torgeson scored (unearned), Fox to third, Landis to second]
13. BRUNET REPLACED FREEMAN (PITCHING)
14. Boone walked [Fox scored (unearned), Landis to third, Lollar to second]
15. Smith walked [Landis scored (unearned), Lollar to third, Boone to second]
16. Callison was hit by a pitch [Lollar scored (unearned), Boone to third, Smith to second]
17. LOU SKIZAS RAN FOR CALLISON
18. Aparicio walked [Boone scored (unearned), Smith to third, Skizas to second]
19. Shaw struck out
20. BUBBA PHILLIPS BATTED FOR TORGESON
21. Phillipswalked [Smith scored (unearned), Skizas to third, Aparicio to second]
22. Fox walked [Skizas scored (unearned), Aparicio to third, Phillips to second]
23. Landis grounded out (pitcher to first)

If you made it to the end, all told that’s 11 runs, one hit, three errors, three left on base, 10 walks and one hit-by-pitch.

The 11 runs in the seventh inning are the most the Sox have ever scored in that frame. The 20 runs scored is tied for fifth-most in franchise history.

Ironically, this game came almost exactly four years after the White Sox scored their most-runs ever in a game, 29, on April 22, 1955 — against these same Kansas City Athletics!

1972
In the first game of a doubleheader against the Royals at Comiskey Park, White Sox pitcher Wilbur Wood reached on a fielder’s choice and scored the only run of the game thanks to an error, in the 1-0 win. Wood went the distance, allowing seven hits in a game that lasted less than two hours.

The Sox also won the second game, 3-2, thanks to a home run from Carlos May in the eighth inning.

1991
Frank Thomas hit the first White Sox home run in new Comiskey Park, a two-run blast in the fifth inning, off of Ben McDonald. It was also the first-ever night game played at the park and the first save earned by a White Sox pitcher there (Bobby Thigpen). The White Sox defeated Baltimore, 8-7.

1998
Ray Durham tied a major league record by reaching base safely three times via error in a 14-7 win over a sloppy Cleveland club that committed five errors overall. Durham reached base six times in the game, getting three additional hits, as well as scoring four runs and knocking in two.

Amazingly, Durham also advanced bases on the two other errors in the game, once advancing to third due to a wild throw on a steal of second base, and also getting all the way home when his triple forced another error.

Four of the five errors were committed by future White Sox: Kenny Lofton, Sandy Alomar Jr. and Jim Thome (two).

2000
The White Sox and Tigers had a brawl that reminded many longtime fans of the fights from the 1950s with the Yankees. This one lasted for almost 30 minutes and saw eight players from both sides get kicked out, along with Sox manager Jerry Manuel. A record number of 16 players would be fined and subsequently suspended.

The brawl started after Detroit pitcher Jeff Weaver hit Paul Konerko in the fourth inning, and Carlos Lee in the sixth. Sox pitcher Jim Parque then drilled Detroit’s Dean Palmer leading off the seventh, and the fight was on.

One of the lingering memories was relief pitcher Keith Foulke suffering a gash on his face courtesy of a sucker punch thrown by either Karim Garcia or Bobby Higginson; Foulke needed five stiches to close the wound. Tigers catcher Robert Fick was seen taunting White Sox fans in the bleacher seats in right field, and got deluged with beer over it.

The Sox won the game, 14-6, and used it as a rallying point for the rest of the season, as they went on to win 95 games en route to a division championship.

2024
The nightmare White Sox season continued, as they were shut out in Minnesota, 7-0, dropping their record to an unbelievable 3-19. It was the eighth time in the first 22 games the team was held without a run, which had never happened before in baseball history.

Showcasing just how much he was held back last season, his first coming back from elbow surgery, Shohei Ohtani could tonight against the Giants complete at least half of his innings total in last year’s regular season. The back-to-back NL MVP has three starts on the year, completing exactly six innings in each of them with a 2-0 record, part of a rotation that has been one of the best in baseball.

Ohtani will face a Giants offense that, despite the win on Tuesday, hasn’t exactly been at its finest this season, and that mainly goes through the struggles of Rafael Devers, who did play a key role in their 3-1 win on Monday with one RBI. Signed to be the leader of this attack, Devers only has four extra-base hits IN 93 at-bats this season, and if his track record against Ohtani is to be taken into account, the outlook for tonight’s game favors the Dodgers.

Players who first crossed paths when they were both in the American League, Ohtani with the Angels and Devers with the Red Sox, have faced each other 12 times—Devers is two for 12 against Ohtani with no home runs and no runs batted in. Still with a small sample on the mound as a Dodger, Ohtani doesn’t have a lot of experience against this Giants lineup. Other than Devers, Matt Chapman is the only Giant with double-digit at-bats against Ohtani, hitting two homers in 19 of them.

After sitting down quietly despite a bombardment of walks against Landon Roupp—who, by the way, hadn’t allowed a home run all season long—the homer-happy Dodgers face the favorable matchup of Tyler Mahle, responsible for 25% of the long balls conceded by the Giants’ pitching staff (6 of 24).

Wednesday’s game info

• Teams: Dodgers at Giants
• Ballpark: Oracle Park, San Francisco
• Start time: 6:45 p.m. PT
• TV: SportsNet LA
• Radio: AM 570 (English), KTNQ 1020 AM (Spanish)

Game three of three with the Angels.

When I went to watch games in Anaheim, I really enjoyed the stadium. It was the first ballpark I’d been to that basically had a shopping mall in it. I remember looking in the Oakley store at over priced sunglasses and one of the sales person said I could get my name (or whatever I wanted) sketched into the lenses, for just another $40 bucks. It seemed really weird to me. But people were doing it.

We stayed in a hotel that was close enough to the ballpark to walk over, which was good, because traffic was nuts around there.

I should be back home for this game, with any luck and West Jet’s cooperation. Which means this is the last GameThread I have to put together a month ahead of time. I’ve never had this many scheduled posts before. Hopefully they all went up exactly as I planned.

Go Jays Go.

The San Diego Padres addressed their rotation needs about as quickly as the Friar Faithful could hope for.

The Padres announced this morning that they have signed right-hander Lucas Giolito to a one-year contract with a mutual option for 2027. In a corresponding move, Bryan Hoeing was moved from the 40-man roster to the 60-day IL.

One start seems to have been enough for knuckleballer Matt Waldron, who will likely be replaced by the now-signed Giolito. The move is great for the Friars, and it’s perfect timing.

With Nick Pivetta indefinitely confined to the injured list, and Griffin Canning and Joe Musgrove still somewhat far off, Giolito is a perfect filler for the Padres.

Best case scenario, he breaks out and puts up an even better year than his 3.41 ERA mark from 2025. That mark tied his career-best (2019) when pitching 20-plus starts in a season. Giolito’s biggest strength for the Padres is that he can eat innings. He’s a truly solid starter who can keep San Diego in games.

The amount of his contract hasn’t been announced yet, and that will determine how beneficial this deal is for the Friars. San Diego general manager A.J. Preller has been known to overpay in the past — and starting pitching is at a premium — but the details of the contract are likely to be made public soon.