Editorials

Dodgers: Max Muncy Quietly Heats Up In May

Entering the 2019 season, one of the biggest questions for the Los Angeles Dodgers was whether Max Muncy could replicate his amazing 2018 season. Many thought his numbers were a “fluke”, that he was a “flash in the pan”, truth be told, up until the end of April I was beginning to wonder myself. As it turns out, Justin Turner is not the only one who believes the season starts in May.

Minors

The Dodgers signed Max Muncy to a minor league contract in April of 2017.



He impressed quickly at Triple-A Oklahoma City hitting .309 with 12 home runs and 44 RBI in 109 games. Picking up where he left off in 2017, Muncy started 2018 by hitting .313 with 2 home runs and 4 RBI in his first 9 games at Oklahoma City. On April 17, with Justin Turner and Logan Forsythe out with injuries, Muncy was called up to cover the hot corner. He has not looked back.

Majors

Upon being called up, Muncy had a slow start hitting just .207 with 2 home runs and 4 RBI.  However, his bat came alive in May and June as he hit 15 more home runs and knocked in 31 runs.  Muncy’s second half was consistent with the first, finishing with 35 home runs, 79 RBIs and a .263 batting average. Although he did hit a postseason slump, he will forever be linked to Game 3 of the 2018 World Series. In what would be the longest game in World Series history, Muncy hit a walk-off home run in the bottom of the 18th inning.

2019

2019 began slow for Max Muncy. During Spring Training he hit only .208 with no home runs, 5 RBIs, and 20 strike outs in 53 at bats. March and April were better, but still not the “Funky Muncy” fans hoped would return. He finished April batting .247 (.247/.345/.462) with 5 home runs and 17 RBI in 31 games. Like Justin Turner though, the month of May once again has quietly ignited Muncy’s bat.

So far in the month of May, he is batting .302 (.302/.389/.556) with 5 home runs and 13 RBI. Additionally, his OPS for the month of May is .944, a significant uptick from the respectable .808 he had for March/April.

Muncy’s No Fluke

With Corey Seager, Chris Taylor, and Kiké Hernández continuing to struggle with consistency, Muncy is rounding into proper form at the right time. Furthermore, he has shown he will make adjustments as a batter.  Adjustments being the key to success for a baseball player, Max Muncy is no “flash in the pan”.  Max Muncy, is here to stay.

Jason McClure

Technically a Dodgers bandwagon fan. At 5 years old, I decided they were my favorite team after hearing they won the World Series on my mom’s car radio in 1988. My father (technically my stepfather) watered that seed, teaching me the game and introducing me to the beauty of Dodger Stadium. We got to know each other and bonded over games. Even when we couldn’t get along during my teenage years, we could come together over Vin Scully’s voice and a game. Dodger baseball is, and will always be, so much more than just a game.

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