Murakami hits 440-foot homer off Messick in postseason debut

Turned around 99.5 mph from Gavin Williams

Wire Report IntelligenceUpdated 45m1 min read

Munetaka Murakami is a star in his first @MLB postseason. He had the hardest-hit ball in Game 1, a left-on-left 440-foo Via @jonmorosi on X

What happened: Munetaka Murakami opened his first MLB postseason with the hardest-hit ball of Game 1, a left-on-left 440-foot home run against Parker Messick. He followed by turning around a 99.5 mph fastball from Gavin Williams.

Why it matters: Messick entered October as an All-Star with a 2.55 ERA across 31 starts, making left-on-left damage stand out. Doing it in consecutive games to open October gives Chicago a series-shaping bat in the ALDS.

By the numbers: 440-foot home run, hardest-hit ball of Game 1, left-on-left vs. Messick; 99.5 mph fastball turned around vs. Williams; Messick: 2.55 ERA across 31 starts.

What to watch: Watch how pitchers attack Murakami with velocity inside as the ALDS continues.

Sources

@JonMorosi 2026-10-05T22:27:03.039560+00:00

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