Aug 25, 2025; West Sacramento, California, USA; Athletics third baseman Darell Hernaiz (2) makes a play against the Detroit Tigers during the third inning at Sutter Health Park. Mandatory Credit: Ed Szczepanski-Imagn Images Ed Szczepanski-Imagn Images

What to Watch From Hernaiz, Muncy This Spring

Originally posted on Oakland Athletics on SI
By Jason Burke | Last updated Jan 26, 2026 5:00 PM ET

Third base will be where all the action is for the A's this spring. With nearly every spot on the diamond locked down, the hot corner offers a bit of intrigue when games get going next month.

While this is technically a three player race , with Darell Hernaiz, Max Muncy and Brett Harris in the mix, the expectation is that Hernaiz and Muncy will be the frontrunners for the position come Opening Day.

We recently covered the projections for all three third base options for the club, including how much playing time each player is expected to receive. Today, we want to go over what to be on the lookout for during spring games that could help determine who gets the nod when the season begins.

For Max Muncy to win

Ed Szczepanski-Imagn Images

Last season Max Muncy was the A's starting second baseman after a late spring push and the injury to Zack Gelof that kept him out to begin the year. In his rookie season, Muncy, 23, ended up playing in 63 games and batted .214 with a .259 OBP. He also added nine home runs, 23 RBI, and held a 72 wRC+ (100 is league average).

This coming year he's projected for some slight gains, which includes batting .239 and holding an 88 wRC+. But the big thing to look out for this spring will be the quality of his plate appearances.

Last year in the big leagues he walked just 4.5% of the time, and he struck out 30.9%. For relatively modest power, that strikeout rate is going to be unsustainable for Muncy to have staying power in the big leagues.

This spring, if there is one stat to look at for him, it will be how often he's striking out. At least that's the simple version. The more complex version is to keep an eye on that rate a little later into camp when players are more ready for the season and there are fewer at-bats against Double-A pitching to go around.

Hernaiz's path to playing time

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Hernaiz had nearly the opposite problem, striking out just 12.2% of the time in 51 games, which is excellent. He showcased tremendous bat-to-ball skills and ended up batting .231 with a .292 OBP. His expected batting average was quite a bit higher at .255, which is right at league average.

In 2026 he's projected to bat a solid .264 with a .327 OBP and a 94 wRC+, so he is seen as the more complete offensive player—likely because of that contact ability.

The one downside in his game has been that he doesn't drive the ball much. This past season he received 197 plate appearances and got 40 hits. Of those 40 hits, 32 of them were singles, with five doubles, one triple, and two home runs.

The key for him will be driving the ball more. That doesn't mean that he has to be a home run hitter all of a sudden, but collecting more doubles would be a big way to separate himself from the pack. He showed some terrific at-bats down the stretch of last season that impressed his coaches and the front office. Now he needs to become more of a threat when he swings the bat.

This article first appeared on Oakland Athletics on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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