Pat McAfee has pulled a lot of unexpected moments out of his guests over the years. A rookie first baseman belting out Clarence Carter’s “Strokin'” on live TV? That might be a new one.
Chicago White Sox slugger Munetaka Murakami sat down with McAfee on Monday before the Home Run Derby in Philadelphia. The conversation started with baseball — Murakami had just returned from a 35-game IL stint with a strained right hamstring — but it shifted fast when McAfee asked about his music taste.
Murakami didn’t name an artist. He just started singing a few familiar bars. McAfee locked in immediately. It was “Strokin’.”
The two traded lines back and forth. McAfee posted the clip on X with the caption: “I BE STROKIN’ #PMSLive.” The video shows both of them laughing through the chorus. Murakami, when asked to name the song, shrugged and said: “I don’t know the name, but… Strokin’.”
It was the kind of moment that makes you remember a player isn’t just a stat line. And Murakami’s stat line this season has been worth remembering anyway.
Before the hamstring injury, the 25-year-old was slashing .287/.381/.557 with 20 homers and 41 RBIs in 57 games. That .938 OPS is real. So is the power he showed in the Derby.
Murakami launched nine home runs in the first round at Citizens Bank Park. His longest went 466 feet. His average homer traveled 421 feet with an exit velocity of 110 mph. It wasn’t enough to beat Kyle Schwarber, who hit 10. But it was enough to make people notice.
He became just the second Japanese-born player ever to compete in the Derby. The other guy was Shohei Ohtani in 2021. Not bad company.
The White Sox activated Murakami three days before the event. He didn’t come to Philly just to swing a bat. He showed up with a personality that plays well on a big stage. The music bit probably wasn’t planned. That’s what made it work.
McAfee’s show has a way of pulling those unscripted moments out of athletes. Murakami’s timing was perfect — both in the cage and on the mic. He left Philadelphia without a trophy. He left with a viral clip and a reminder that this guy can hang with anyone, on any stage.
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