Two rookie players have etched their names into baseball history this past week by achieving a feat accomplished by only two others before them.
Chicago White Sox player Munetaka Murakami and Cleveland Guardians outfielder Chase DeLauter have both launched home runs in each of their initial three major league contests. Sports data company Sportradar reports that just Trevor Story of the Colorado Rockies in 2016 and Kyle Lewis of the Seattle Mariners in 2019 had previously managed this accomplishment.
Story holds the major league record for consecutive games with home runs to start a career, going deep in his first four contests. DeLauter will have the opportunity to tie that mark when Cleveland faces Seattle on Sunday evening.
The 26-year-old Murakami secured his spot in this exclusive group on Sunday by driving a 3-2 offering from Milwaukee’s Brandon Sproat beyond the right-center field wall and into the White Sox bullpen during the second inning. The Japanese power hitter had previously connected off Jake Woodford in the ninth inning of his Thursday debut and launched another against Chad Patrick in Saturday’s fourth inning.
This marks Murakami’s inaugural major league series following his December signing of a two-year, $34 million deal with Chicago. During his eight seasons with Japan’s Central League Yakult Swallows, Murakami blasted 246 home runs, including an impressive 56-homer campaign in 2022.
The 24-year-old DeLauter has collected four home runs across his first three major league appearances.
The outfielder connected twice during his Thursday debut, becoming just the fifth player in the Guardians’ 126-year franchise history to homer in his inaugural regular-season plate appearance. He followed with a solo blast off Seattle’s George Kirby on Friday, then delivered a two-run shot against Andrés Muñoz during Saturday’s 10th inning.
