Yakult Swallows Murakami Munetaka (23) is experiencing extreme sluggishness.
On the 25th, Japanese media Sponichianex said, “Yakult lost 3-5 to Yokohama and suffered three consecutive losses and fell into a tie for third place. 4th hitter Murakami only struck out 2 hits in 3 at-bats, and there was an error that led to the first run in defense.”
Starting as the fourth hitter and third baseman, Murakami sent a runner out after one out in the first inning defense with an error of fumbling for a ground ball. Starting pitcher Cysneed allowed a first run after hitting a double at 1st and 3rd base. After that, he helplessly withdrew from the plate and could not make up for the mistake.
Murakami recorded a batting average of 3.18 li (155 hits in 487 bats), 56 homers, 134 RBIs, and an OPS of 1.168 in 141 games last season, breaking the record for the most home runs by a Japanese player and at the same time achieving the triple crown as a home run hitter. But he’s not off to a good start this season. In 20 games, he had a batting average of 1.6 7 Lee (11-for-66), 2 home runs, 9 RBIs, and an OPS of .632.
Sponichianex said, “Murakami is struggling with 1 hit in 15 at-bats in the last 5 games. His batting average dropped to 1/6 and 7, and he struck out 30 in 20 games,” he said, concerned about Murakami’s poor performance.
Murakami also participated as a member of the Japanese national team in the World Baseball Classic (WBC) held in March, but recorded a batting average of .231 (6 hits in 26 at-bats), 1 home run, 6 RBIs, and an OPS of .826 in 7 games. He did not perform badly, but he also struggled with poor performances until he performed well in the semifinals and finals. In the Japanese media, there is also an opinion that playing with Shohei Ohtani (Angels) in the WBC had a rather negative effect on Murakami. 스포츠토토
Japanese fans are showing various reactions to Murakami’s unexpected slump. “Isn’t this the first time Murakami has fallen into a slump while playing baseball?” Some voices worry, “Murakami’s biggest strength is not being injured”, “If it’s Murakami, he’ll pick up the pace again, so don’t worry. There were also loud voices cheering for Murakami, such as “I can’t do it” and “Murakami is having a hard time right now, but he will definitely be able to overcome it.”