<h2><span class="format-emphasize"><span class="strong-in-content">Home ranking is also within reach! Evolving Form&#8221; in the Majors</span></span></h2>
<figure id="attachment_467202" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-467202" style="width: 1660px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><a href="#" data-ident_hash="9605d286"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/fridaydigital/image/private/t_article_image/wpmedia/2026/05/3d7763510913c88f2c15b37981018669.jpg" alt=""></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-467202" class="wp-caption-text"> After his No. 9 solo shot against the Diamondbacks on April 22, he circled the diamond with his right hand raised. The back of his head also has an air of dignity.</figcaption></figure>
<p><span class="strongInContent"><span class="strong-in-content"> &#8220;Japanese sensation!&#8221;</span></span></p>
<p> The play-by-play announcer often praised him as a &#8220;Japanese sensation! The announcers often praised the batting of Munetaka Murakami (26), who joined the White Sox this season and has been hitting home runs in bunches!　He is on pace to hit 67 home runs in a year, which is good enough for the title of home run king.</p>
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<p><span class="strongInContent"><span class="strong-in-content"> When I was with the Yakult baseball team, I swung by tapping the ball from above and applying backspin in order to make the ball fly farther. Since coming to the majors, he has scooped the ball up from below. His form is completely aimed at home runs. In the majors, batting average is not valued very highly. Home runs and OPS (an index that adds on-base percentage and slugging percentage) are the things that are evaluated.</span></span></p>
<p> said Takashi Kawamura, an expert in motion analysis and professor at the University of Tsukuba&#8217;s College of Physical Education. Let&#8217;s listen to Kawamura&#8217;s explanation of Murakami&#8217;s evolution while looking at a series of photos of his form.</p>
<p><span class="strongInContent"><span class="strong-in-content"> Many of the major players bend over to gather power at the start of the stroke. This is because they have strong hip joints. Japanese players who do not have such strong hip joints, like Murakami in (1), have a natural stance with their back straight and their weight balanced on both feet. This allows them to play with any kind of ball because they have no peculiarities in their stance.</span></span></p>
<figure id="attachment_467203" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-467203" style="width: 904px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><a href="#" data-ident_hash="61a68d84"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/fridaydigital/image/private/t_article_image/wpmedia/2026/05/6c83f7f5fb00d85c50f672b9fd8eff35.jpg" alt=""></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-467203" class="wp-caption-text"> (1) Starts from a natural stance with a straight back and both feet relaxed.</figcaption></figure>
<p> The difference from his days with the Yakult baseball team is apparent from (2).</p>
<p><span class="strongInContent"><span class="strong-in-content"> When I was in Japan, I raised my right foot a little higher. Now the width of the lift is smaller. This is probably to adapt to major league pitching, where there is not much time between take-back and release.</span></span></p>
<figure id="attachment_467204" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-467204" style="width: 912px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><a href="#" data-ident_hash="49e6ec20"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/fridaydigital/image/private/t_article_image/wpmedia/2026/05/def87b9361296ebb8a2a176516ea416e.jpg" alt=""></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-467204" class="wp-caption-text"> Compared to his Yakult days, the width of his right leg has decreased. Corresponding to the movement of major league pitchers.</figcaption></figure>
<p> The most significant change is in the movements of (3) and (4).</p>
<p><span class="strong-in-content"><span class="strongInContent"> In ③, the left shoulder has dropped. When I was with the Yakult, the line between my shoulders was almost parallel to the ground, but now there is an incline. By daring to lower the left shoulder, the swing is not horizontal but sinking. The reason why the form does not collapse is because the right foot is firmly stepping on the ground to create a &#8220;wall.</span><br>
<span class="strongInContent"> In (4), the player uses the &#8220;wall&#8221; to swing the bat up from the sinking position. By swinging in a V-shaped trajectory from (3) to (4), you are scooping up the ball from below. This is a form that makes it easier to send the ball farther.</span></span></p>
<p> The new hitting style is to strike the ball at an angle of about 30 degrees, which is considered ideal for sending the ball far away.</p>
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<figure id="attachment_467205" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-467205" style="width: 1871px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><a href="#" data-ident_hash="f2b4640b"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/fridaydigital/image/private/t_article_image/wpmedia/2026/05/c930b66b896f1749aa6759289bf7f994.jpg" alt=""></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-467205" class="wp-caption-text"> (3) The left shoulder is lowered and the bat sinks into the ground. The right foot is stepped on to create a &#8220;wall&#8221;.</figcaption></figure>

<figure id="attachment_467206" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-467206" style="width: 1067px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><a href="#" data-ident_hash="9dae4a42"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/fridaydigital/image/private/t_article_image/wpmedia/2026/05/67cdf6fed6177fdc5a1f1951499ffd31.jpg" alt=""></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-467206" class="wp-caption-text"> Swing for long-distance hitters with a &#8220;V&#8221; shape.</figcaption></figure>
<p><span class="strong-in-content"><span class="strongInContent"> Swing speed does not drop until the finish of ⑤, and the follow-through is large. A straight line is formed from the shoulder to the right foot, so you can see that the power of the entire body is efficiently transferred to the batted ball.</span><br>
<span class="strongInContent"> Murakami won the Triple Crown in Japan, but in his last two years with Yakult, he was unable to produce the results he wanted. Perhaps he was experimenting with a &#8220;scoop-up swing&#8221; to hit home runs with an eye toward moving to the majors. In fact, after crossing the ocean to play in the U.S., his form seems to have solidified.&#8221;</span></span></p>

<figure id="attachment_467207" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-467207" style="width: 1177px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><a href="#" data-ident_hash="7df0f45a"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/fridaydigital/image/private/t_article_image/wpmedia/2026/05/6665be8f093bbfca87cde4548f1a2095.jpg" alt=""></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-467207" class="wp-caption-text"> (5) He swung the bat through the air and formed a straight line from his shoulder to his right foot.</figcaption></figure>
<p> How well will he perform in his first year in the majors if he does not get injured?</p>
<p><span class="strongInContent"><span class="strong-in-content"> He said, &#8220;I don&#8217;t think I can expect a high batting average because of my swing, which has a lot of body movement. On the other hand, he can hit a lot of home runs. I think he can hit .230, hit 40 home runs, and score 100 runs.</span></span></p>
<p> The first Japanese player to win the home run crown in his first year in the majors. Murakami&#8217;s &#8220;Sensation! Murakami&#8217;s momentum just won&#8217;t stop.</p>
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<p> From the May 15 and 22, 2026 issue of FRIDAY</p>
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 Reuters/Afro (1st photo) Arifumi Taguchi

 Munetaka Murakami of the White Sox (26) reached No. 12 in his first year in the Majors, at a pace of 67 runs per year. Professor Taku Kawamura of Tsukuba University analyzes the evolution of his V-shaped swing, "scooping up from below," with a series of photographs.

 He hit 67 homers a year! His swing has changed dramatically since his days with the Yakult baseball team. Professor Taku Kawamura of Tsukuba University, an expert in motion analysis, provides an in-depth analysis.

White Sox’s Munetaka Murakami: The secret to his homerun streak is “Scooping up from underneath!

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