Max Muncy Believes ‘Experience’ Separates Dodgers From Other Teams

The Los Angeles Dodgers are back in the playoffs for the 14th consecutive season after first clinching a postseason berth and later winning another National League West title.

The Dodgers secured the No. 2 seed in the National League and finished with the second-best record in MLB after reaching the 100-win mark for the sixth time under manager Dave Roberts.

Finishing with a top-two record was an impressive accomplishment for a Dodgers team that looked lifeless at times this summer. They got back on track with an impressive September, which Max Muncy attributed to the team’s experience and ability to handle adversity, via Jack Harris of the California Post:

“I just always point to the experience,” Muncy said. “There’s no number or metric that will ever describe how important that is, to have a group of guys that know what it takes to get to this point. We have a ton of guys that just know what it takes. And there’s no replacing that.”

Muncy is the longest-tenured Dodgers player and has seen just about everything in his nine seasons with the team.

In what has become a yearly occurrence, the Dodgers once again had to navigate long stretches this season without multiple key contributors due to injuries. There were also times when several players uncharacteristically struggled, which further compounded their issues.

However, the team never panicked and remained confident in its ability to weather the storm until it began to get healthier. Will Smith, Tyler Glasnow and Edwin Díaz were among the first wave of players to rejoin the team, and then they later welcomed back Shohei Ohtani, Andy Pages and Roki Sasaki.

The Dodgers now enter the playoffs with the healthiest group they’ve had all year. They are also expecting to add one more key piece with Edgardo Henriquez trending toward returning for the postseason.

Dodgers waiting on NLDS opponent

The Dodgers already punched their ticket to the NL Division Series by securing a top-two seed, and now they wait for the results of the Wild Card series to determine their opponent.

The Dodgers will face the winner of the three-game series between the Atlanta Braves and Philadelphia Phillies. The Braves are hosting the Wild Card by way of winning the NL East division title, and they are the favorites to advance.

On the other side of the bracket, the Milwaukee Brewers will face the winner of the series between the San Diego Padres and Chicago Cubs, with all three of those games taking place at Petco Park in San Diego.