The White Sox took a huge hit last night, as the White Sox placed Munetaka Murakami on the 10-day injured list. This is a big loss for the lineup, as Murakami is among the best power hitters in the entire league. The White Sox will look to fill the huge hole in the lineup for a few weeks, which will be difficult to do, as Murakami has 20 homeruns and 41 RBIs to this point.
However, there is one positive to this, as 2023 first round pick Jacob Gonzalez will be called up to take Murakami’s spot on the roster. This is a long awaited debut, as Gonzalez has been the best hitter in the minor leagues this season. However, many wonder if that will translate into success at the major league level. Let’s take a look at what to expect from Gonzalez with his first taste of the major leagues.
Gonzalez has the draft pedigree to be a successful major league player, as he was the 15th overall pick in the 2023 draft after three successful years at Ole Miss. However, up until this point, his minor league career has been relatively disappointing.
Despite his overall numbers being underwhelming, he seemingly improved every year. And after getting in 46 games with the Charlotte Knights last season, he has finally figured something out in 2026.
🔥 Subscribe to the Untold Chicago YouTube channel to hear Chicago legends tell stories you’ve never seen in headlines — real moments, real experiences, straight from the athletes themselves.
In 52 games with the Knights, Gonzalez is hitting .317 with a .419 OBP and a .688 slugging percentage. That is due to him hitting 19 homeruns and driving in 62 runs already. He has added 11 doubles, one triple, and eight stolen bases. He also owns a solid walk to strikeout ratio, as he has walked 33 times compared to 48 strikeouts. These are video game numbers.
Jacob Gonzalez has 8 hits in his last 8 at-bats! And four of them have been this!!! 🔥🔥 pic.twitter.com/LXMms8EXKD
— Charlotte Knights (@KnightsBaseball) May 30, 2026
Gonzalez has been a terror for opposing pitchers in AAA and he will look to carry that into his major league debut. However, the pitching in the majors is significantly better. But, with the hot streak that he’s on, even major league pitching may look like beach balls to Gonzalez.
I would imagine the power carries over to the major leagues for Gonzalez, as despite concerns of him playing in a very hitter friendly environment in the Charlotte Knights ballpark, Rate field is also known to be hitter friendly. I would imagine most of the homers hit at their park would find their way out in Chicago.
With the recent update from James Fegan that Murakami will be out 4-6 weeks, Gonzalez will get plenty of playing time across the infield. I would imagine in his month of playing time, he hits around .245 with solid power numbers. It would be safe to expect him to continue to drive in runs in the major leagues.
Gonzalez will have big shoes to fill, but in a 30 game stretch, I could see him hitting 5 homers and driving in 15 runs. If that is the case, that would be a huge development and it would be hard to send him down. It will be fun to see what Gonzalez can do, as many have written him off after his slow start in the minor leagues.
