Dodgers’ Max Muncy Knows He Can Be ‘Above-Average Defender’ at Third Base

The defense on the left side of the Dodgers’ infield will be an interesting area to watch this year. Gavin Lux will take over as the starting shortstop for the first time in his career. Max Muncy will enter his second year as the Dodgers’ full-time third baseman.

Back in 2022, Muncy transitioned to third base full-time after the Dodgers signed first baseman Freddie Freeman. Overall, Muncy has struggled to man the hot corner ever since. In 2023, he committed 17 errors, which tied him for sixth in Major League Baseball.

Since the season ended, Muncy has emphasized improving his defense. Speaking with reporters recently about his struggles last year, Muncy told Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic:

“That’s not who I was. I know I can be an above-average defender, and I’ve been an above-average defender in the past.”

— Dodgers third baseman Max Muncy, via Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic

Now, Muncy looks to follow a similar trajectory as when he first signed with the Dodgers. Initially, he graded out rather poorly at first base, but eventually, he worked himself into one of the better defensive first-basemen in baseball, even becoming a Gold Glove finalist.

Dodgers general manager Brandon Gomes, among others within the organization, has noticed the work Muncy has put in this offseason.

“The way he attacked this offseason, how he looks coming in, it is a big focus of him wanting to go out and prove that he’s still really good at third base, which we all believe.

“He’s on a mission. He’s really focused right now. And we’re excited to get him out there.”

— Dodgers general manager Brandon Gomes, via Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic

It seems Muncy identified his struggles early on, and has spent the winter getting his body ready to meet these challenges. In a recent article by Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register, he reports that Muncy focused more on his flexibility this year as opposed to strength training,

That started over the winter when Muncy said he focused his offseason work more on improving his flexibility and less on strength training. He dropped weight along the way – about 15 pounds so far, he said.

— Bill Plunkett via the Orange County Register

Muncy would go on to tell Plunkett that he dropped the weight to help his mobility and put himself in a better position to make a play,

“I feel like I’m moving well. My pre-pitch is going well. I’m able to stay down on balls hit to me. That was the biggest thing.

“I just look at why (his defense rated so poorly). For me, there’s a lot of balls where I put myself in a bad position. … I know that’s not the defender that I am. It was just kind of a snowball effect from the beginning last year. (You) make a couple bad plays, and that kind of sticks with you and then it gets in your head that, when the ball gets hit, actually you’re expecting something bad to happen, when in reality I was the one creating the bad things that were going on.”

— Max Muncy, via Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register

Muncy does not need to turn himself into an elite defender at third base. With his usual offensive production, even a boost to just an average defender would make him one of baseball’s more valuable third basemen.

Photo Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports

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