Max Muncy’s Resurgence Snuffed Out by Third Base Collision

Things were looking pretty rough for Muncy throughout the first month of the season.

Through April 29th, Muncy held a .180 batting average and 58 wRC+. While Muncy has been known to maintain low batting averages at times, he has typically made up for it with strong plate discipline and power.

Unfortunately for Muncy, he struggled in these areas as well. His full batting line at this point was .180/.295/.236, and he had yet to hit a home run. Muncy had also maintained a strikeout rate of 32.4% through his first 105 plate appearances.

Muncy’s .531 OPS registered as the 13th worst mark in MLB among qualified hitters at this point. His offensive struggles were made all the more painfully apparent by his subpar performance on defense.

For context, these numbers pale in comparison to Muncy’s typical production. Over his career, Muncy has hit .230/.353/.473, good for an .826 OPS and 125 wRC+. His steep falloff, especially in slugging percentage, indicated a significant problem at hand.

By the end of April, concern amongst Dodgers fans was palpable. Despite Muncy’s importance to the team, trade rumors began to swirl and many wondered whether he’d still be a Dodger come October.

However, an unexpected (yet familiar) change allowed Muncy to turn what looked like a lost season into triumph.

If I Had a Nickel…

Around the end of April, Muncy discovered that he had an astigmatism in his right eye. Given that this was his front-facing eye when in the lefty batter’s box, this posed a serious challenge. 

Last year, teammate Enrique Hernández dealt with the same issue from the other side of the plate. He too had dealt with an astigmatism in his right eye, and his performance suffered as well.

To confront this issue, Hernández chose to begin wearing glasses around the All-Star break. He then went on a monster run to begin the second half, and cited his glasses as a major factor in his renewed performance.

In looking for solutions to his own issues, Muncy decided to try the same strategy. He would begin wearing glasses during games, and also made some slight tweaks to his swing to help elevate the ball better. Just like with Hernández, the glasses worked their magic.

Muncy kicked things into gear quickly, hitting his first home run of the year on April 30th.

Since then, Muncy has hit .281/.409/.561, good for a .971 OPS and 168 wRC+ with 13 home runs. This includes a red-hot month of June, where Muncy batted an absurd .333/.459/.654 with seven home runs and a 206 wRC+.

He has been particularly effective in high leverage spots. In 28 high-leverage plate appearances, Muncy has 10 hits, 19 RBIs, and three homers while hitting .400/.393/.800. With men on base at all, Muncy jumps from a .210/.339/.326 line (95 wRC+) to a .297/.413/.610 line (177 wRC+).

Muncy’s line on the year now sits at .250/.375/.457 – much more in line with his career averages and capabilities. In fact, his expected metrics suggest that Muncy could have even better numbers overall.

Unfortunately, Muncy’s numbers will have to stay put for the foreseeable future.

Another Brutal Setback

Playing against the White Sox on July 3rd, Muncy prepared to tag out Michael A. Taylor on a steal attempt in the sixth inning. 

Muncy was able to make the tag, but Taylor slid past the bag and collided forcefully with his knee. Muncy hit the ground and clutched his knee immediately. Teammates and fans feared the worst when he was helped off the field a few minutes later. 

Though it was initially speculated that Muncy may miss the rest of the season, he received some positive news the next day. 

His MRI results indicated that there was no structural damage to the knee, meaning he could still come back this year. Muncy was put on the injured list with a bone bruise, and is expected to miss around 6-8 weeks.

This should allow him to return in time for the final stretch of the season.But, the Dodgers will have to find a way to replace his production in the meantime.

Reinforcements

There are a few candidates that the Dodgers can call on to fill the void in the lineup while Muncy recovers. 

The Dodgers called up Esteury Ruiz to take Muncy’s spot on the roster for now. So far with the big league club, Ruiz is 3-for-10 with five strikeouts and an RBI. 

Ruiz has yet to put it together at the major league level so far, as he’s hit .244/.297/.342 in 184 games. That said, he set the American League rookie stolen base record in 2023. He’s also shown promise in Triple-A for the Dodgers this year.

In 66 games with Oklahoma City, Ruiz has hit .292 with 8 home runs, 38 stolen bases, and 37 RBIs. If Ruiz can make consistent contact, his elite sprint speed could be a significant help on the basepaths.

Miguel Rojas and Enrique Hernández are expected to spend time at third in Muncy’s absence. Tommy Edman will also make starts at the hot corner against right-handed pitching.

As a result, Hyeseong Kim is also likely to get more consistent playing time at second base against righties. Kim has been incredibly exciting in his limited play with the Dodgers, hitting .333/.376/.461 in 45 games while playing versatile defense.

Ultimately, the Dodgers have some depth to call on, and they could also bring in another bat at the trade deadline. They’ll likely look to recoup Muncy’s production in a number of different ways as they wait for him to return.

Muncy has had difficult recoveries from injury in the past, but he has expressed feeling optimistic. Fans can remain hopeful and ideally see him return sometime in the next few months.