Last season was not representative of the defender we've come to know when thinking about Max Muncy.
The starting third baseman for the Dodgers had some real struggles in 2023. A balky knee limited his mobility. This caused an adverse ripple effect on his ability to field the baseball.
Uncharacteristically, we saw Muncy boot balls that he'd normally gobble up with ease. He committed 16 errors last year in the regular season, the most he's ever had in a single year.
Knowing changes had to be made, Muncy dedicated himself to improving in the offseason. With Spring Training now in full swing, was the 33-year-old able to achieve these fitness goals?
According to Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic, the answer would be a resounding "yes."
Muncy and general manager Brandon Gomes were both asked about the progress he had been making in the offseason.
Muncy touched a bit on last season:
"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. I couldn’t get down into the ground, and it’s hard to perform when you can’t do that."
— Muncy, per Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic
Muncy spent the offseason tweaking his approach to preparing for the year. It involved reportedly slimming down and also working specifically to strengthen his knee and overall agility.
Much of Muncy's value does come in the batter's box. Despite not traditionally hitting for a high average, the Texas native has a reputation for working counts exceptionally well. His ability to slug and get on base via walks lends himself to being a very good fit for an analytically driven front office.
The right side of the Dodgers' infield should be rock-solid fielding-wise between Freddie Freeman and Mookie Betts. However, the left side is still a question mark. Muncy is hoping to fix some things from last year. Gavin Lux is back at shortstop after recovering from a torn ACL.
Perhaps in a move to add more cover, Enrique Hernandez signed a one-year contract Monday afternoon.
The Dodgers do remain optimistic in general. Gomes intimated as much with this quote:
"The way [Muncy] 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."
— Gomes on Muncy
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