Munetaka Murakami has officially signed with Jordan Brand, adding the Chicago White Sox power hitter to a baseball roster that already includes Aaron Judge, Mookie Betts, and Elly De La Cruz.
The announcement comes during the biggest week of Murakami’s young MLB career. He is making his first All-Star appearance and will also step into the Home Run Derby at Citizens Bank Park, giving Jordan Brand an easy opportunity to introduce him to more fans outside Japan.
Murakami arrived in the majors with plenty of attention already following him. He debuted in Japan at 18 years old in 2018, then piled up 246 home runs across eight seasons in Nippon Professional Baseball. Teams had tracked him for years, though his strikeout numbers became a sticking point once he was posted. Instead of landing the huge long-term deal many once expected, he signed with the White Sox for two years and $34 million.
The strikeouts have carried over, but so has the power. Murakami reached the All-Star break with 20 home runs in just 60 games, which has helped ease some of the concern that followed him into the season.
There is also more to the signing than what he has done in Chicago. Murakami was already one of Japan’s most recognizable baseball players before making the move to MLB, and Jordan Brand now has another athlete with a real following in both markets. That kind of reach has become a bigger part of baseball endorsement deals, especially with Japanese stars continuing to draw attention well beyond the sport.
Murakami called the partnership a dream come true and said the Jumpman stands for greatness, confidence, and pushing past limits. He also spoke about representing the brand on the field while helping bring more young players into baseball.
His first appearance in Jordan Brand footwear will come in the Air Jordan 3 “True Blue” baseball cleat. The cleated version releases July 14, 2026, for $205 through Nike.com and select retailers, followed by the Air Jordan 3 “True Blue” retro on July 18.
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