Steve Webb
LOS ANGELES, CA — In a pre-NLCS interview, Max Muncy shared insights into the Dodgers’ mindset as they prepare to face the Mets. Reflecting on their NLDS win, Muncy spoke about the team’s growth and resilience: “The clubhouse kind of found out a lot about each other… you get into the fire like that in that kind of atmosphere, you really learn who you are as a team.” He emphasized that there was “no quit, no give up” among the players, traits essential for success in the postseason.
Asked about momentum in baseball, Muncy gave a thoughtful response: “It’s always a tough question… is there such a thing as momentum in baseball? I don’t have the answer to that.” However, he praised the bullpen’s efforts throughout the season despite the workload: “They’ve responded well… they’re kind of the guys that are sparking us right now. We all want to get behind them, give them the lead, let them go out there and do what they want to do.”
Facing a relatively unfamiliar Mets team presented unique challenges compared to the more frequent matchups within their division. “It’s a little bit different to game plan for that,” Muncy noted. “When you play the Padres, you already have a very good idea of what your game plan is going to be… with a team like the Mets, you almost have to start from scratch.”
On the topic of meeting Los Angeles fans’ high expectations, Muncy acknowledged the pressure while maintaining focus on the team’s approach: “We’ve got to keep our fire and intensity from the last series… I’ve seen in the past where we’ve won a big series and then you move on to the next one, and you almost kind of let your guard down.” He emphasized that the key to advancing was to “keep doing what you want to do,” adding, “As long as you prepare the proper way and go out there with all the right tools, then we trust ourselves to move on.”
Reflecting on the experience of missing the 2021 postseason due to injury, Muncy saw similarities in the challenge of maintaining focus after an intense series against a division rival: “You beat the division rival, you’re really high up, and you almost let your guard down… We’ve got to make sure we stay just as fired up, just as focused, and just as prepared for this series.” The team had already made this mindset a focal point in their preparations.
When asked about his comfort level at first base, Muncy expressed confidence: “It’s pretty natural over there… it just kind of felt extremely natural, felt easy.” He admitted he hadn’t faced all the possible scenarios yet, such as a ball up the line, but overall felt prepared for the role.
Regarding the Dodgers’ offensive approach, Muncy dismissed the notion that recent success was merely a result of luck: “Isn’t that just baseball? If you win, you get more hits to drop in.” He credited the game plan but noted that “each year is a different group… a different attitude in the clubhouse.” For the upcoming series, he stressed the importance of putting together strong at-bats and dictating how long the Mets’ starting pitcher would stay in the game: “He’s going to go as long as we let him go.”
Muncy will get the start at third base tonight. Then NLCS kicks off at 5:15 PDT with Manny Ramirez tossing the first pitch pregame.
