White Sox Slugger Says Home Run Derby Rule Change Saved His Shot at Competing

Munetaka Murakami will be in the Home Run Derby on Monday night. And he’s being honest about why he’s even out there: the new rules made it possible.

The White Sox slugger just came off the injured list last week after missing more than a month with a hamstring strain. He’s played three games since getting activated. Three games. And now he’s heading to Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia to swing for the fences in front of a packed crowd.

It almost didn’t happen. Murakami, speaking through his interpreter on The Pat McAfee Show, said the old format would have been a nonstarter for him.

“I saw Ohtani-san at the Home Run Derby as well, and when I was looking through the Home Run Derby this year, the rules had changed,” Murakami said. “If it were the past rules in the past season, I probably wouldn’t have been able to make it. But since the rule change, I was more optimistic about being out there and getting into participation.”

What Changed?

For years, the Home Run Derby ran on a timer. Hitters rushed to swing as many times as possible within a set period, taking one timeout. If you hit two homers beyond a certain distance, you got bonus seconds. It was a sprint, basically.

This year, it’s different. The first round gives each hitter 20 swings. No clock. No rushing. The top four move to a bracket with 15 swings per round. That shift lets guys like Murakami choose their pitches and take a breath instead of swinging themselves into a cramp.

Murakami’s hamstring injury cost him from late May through July 10. Grinding through a timed round with a leg that’s still healing? That would’ve been a gamble. The new format lets him pace himself.

His Numbers This Year

Murakami has 20 home runs in 60 games for Chicago. That puts him third on the team behind Colson Montgomery (23 homers) and Miguel Vargas (21). Not bad for a guy who missed a month of the season.

So yeah, the rule change opened the door for him. He might not have the strongest legs in the field right now, but he’s got the power. And now he’s got a format that works with him, not against him.

We’ll see Monday night whether that’s enough to make a run at the trophy.