Dodgers News: 200! Muncy hits homer milestone
"It's pretty cool."
LOS ANGELES — When Max Muncy connected for his 200th career home run Saturday night against the New York Yankees—then followed it up with No. 201 for good measure—it wasn’t just a milestone, it was a reminder. A reminder that one of the most improbable success stories in recent Dodgers history still has plenty of thunder left in his bat.
“It’s pretty cool,” Muncy said postgame of reaching the 200-homer plateau. “To hit as many as I’ve hit in [a Dodger] uniform, that kind of means everything to me, just what this organization has meant to me. So it’s a blessing for sure.” His words echoed a broader truth Dodgers fans have come to appreciate: Muncy isn’t just a power bat—he’s a cornerstone, forged in resilience.
Released by the Oakland A’s in 2017, Muncy was out of baseball and looking for another chance when the Dodgers gave him one when Justin Turner was injured in Spring Training. What followed was a breakout 2018 season fueled by patience at the plate, sneaky athleticism, and light-tower power. From there, he never looked back. He’s hit over 30 home runs in four different seasons, delivered clutch moments in October—including the unforgettable 18th-inning walk-off in the 2018 World Series—and became a fixture in the middle of the Dodgers’ lineup, all while playing wherever the team needed him most.
With Freddie Freeman ensconced at first base the last few seasons, we might forget what a great first baseman Muncy had become in his time on that side of the diamond. His move back to third hasn’t been the easiest transition for Munce, but he’s acknowledged that he needs to get better. And, after a horrific April this season, Muncy’s statline is looking more and more Muncy-esque every day. His average is now around his career average, and his OPS is now a respectable .723, thanks to a great month of May: .250 AVG., five home runs, and an OPS north of .850. That’ll play going forward. Hopefully the “DFA Muncy” chorus online will be drowned out a bit by his big day.
Saturday’s performance was vintage Muncy: disciplined, powerful, and locked in. “You can’t say no when you have a day like today,” he said when asked if he was in the zone. “So yeah, I guess you could say I was.” His three-hit, six-RBI outburst helped fuel an 18–2 rout of the Yankees, and marked another step in his continued resurgence after a frustrating start to the season. “The last several weeks I thought have been really good for me,” Muncy said. “Today was a very good game. Try to build on it and just keep the momentum moving forward.”
He also acknowledged a subtle but possibly significant change—he’s started wearing specialized glasses to reduce the stress on his left eye, and the results have spoken for themselves. “It’s not necessarily something that I need,” he said, “but just any chance at all that it evens out both eyes for me, I haven’t taken it. And, you know, the results have been there since I’ve been wearing them… it’s hard to argue against it.”
Even on a night where several Dodgers shined, including rookie Hyeseong Kim’s dazzling all-around performance, Muncy’s milestone stood out—not just for what it meant statistically, but for what it symbolized emotionally. “Hopefully I still got a lot more in me,” he said. The numbers say he does. But more importantly, so does the heart that brought him from the edge of obscurity to the heart of Los Angeles. Here’s to 200 and counting—for a player who’s never stopped proving he belongs.
With Chris Taylor and Austin Barnes gone, Muncy is the last of Friedman 1.0 Dodgers: a gritty player picked up off the scrapheap who had untapped potential that the Dodgers were able to see when no one else did. His discernment of the strike zone has always been elite, and in the “three-true-outcomes” environment of the modern game, he fits in just right. His 2024 NLCS was unbelievable (.630 OBP!) and he’s always ready to surprise anyone who’s given up on him. And you could make the argument that if not for Max’s injury on the last day of the 2021 season, we would be talking about him being a THREE-time World Series champion.
Not sure how many homers Max has left in him in his career, but he’s already made his mark in Dodger history. His 196 homers–he hit five with the A’s–brings him within five dongs of Matt Kemp for seventh on the All-Time Dodger longball leaderboard. And, it’s not so far-fetched to think that he might even get himself into the top five before all is said and done. And though the Dodgers aren’t necessarily known for being a team of bashers (All-Time leader is Duke Snider with a relatively modest 389), to be in that company at the end of a career is something to be cherished.
So good for you, Max Muncy. And long may you run.
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