Max Langer
Continuing with our DodgersBeat Position Preview is third base, which is expected to be held down by Max Muncy for the third straight year, moving from first after the Dodgers acquired Freddie Freeman before the 2022 campaign.
Muncy’s Prior History
Despite the Dodgers winning an astounding one hundred and eleven games in 2022, Muncy struggled at the plate, by his standards. In 136 games, the lefty slugger hit only .196 with 21 homers and 69 RBIs. In 2023, Muncy again hit for a low average, but his power numbers jumped, as he notched 36 home runs and 105 RBIs. He went hitless in the postseason as the Dodgers fell to the Arizona Diamondbacks in the National League Division Series.
In 2024, although Muncy played only seventy-three games due to an oblique strain that had him sidelined from May 17th to August 19th, he had some crucial moments in the postseason. Muncy reached base twelve consecutive times against the New York Mets in the National League Championship Series, a record for a singular playoff series. However, Muncy went hitless in the World Series, though the Dodgers’ performance didn’t exactly suffer.
A Baylor University alumni, “Mad Max” was drafted in the fifth round of the 2012 MLB draft by the then-Oakland Athletics. Over the next three years, Muncy slowly worked his way through the ranks of the A’s farm system, before he hit his first home run in May of 2015 off of former San Francisco Giant Jeff Samardzjia. However, in 2016, Muncy barely hit above the Mendoza line, and was DFA’d in January of 2017, before the A’s fully released him three months later on April 3rd.
Projections
This season, according to Fangraphs’ ZiPS projections, Muncy is projected to put together a .213/.334/.419 slash line, with a WRC+ of 113, about 13% better than the league-average hitter. At the age of 34, it’s fair to say Muncy’s best years are probably behind him, with 2019-2021 looking to be his prime. However, Muncy’s projected 24 home runs and 69 RBIs in the middle of a Dodgers lineup that’s expected to feature Shohei Ohtani, Mookie Betts, Freddie Freeman, Teoscar Hernandez, and more is very strong. Muncy’s projected Wins Above Replacement, or WAR, is expected to total 2.4, a very respectable number.
The defensive side of the ball, however, hasn’t been Muncy’s strong suit over the course of his career. That said, he really improved in 2024. By the year’s end, it’s fair to say that Muncy is around a league-average defender at the hot corner, a remarkable improvement considering the Dodgers organization reportedly told Muncy he needed to improve on his glove work at third base or the Dodgers would no longer have a spot for him. In the World Series, Muncy made a particularly nice play on a Gleyber Torres chopper in Game 1 of the Fall Classic at the Dodger Stadium.
Other Options
Should Muncy go down via injury (which is certainly a possibility), doesn’t play well enough to garner the majority of reps at third base, or needs a day or two off, the Dodgers definitely have players who could slot in for Muncy.
Both Chris Taylor and Kiké Hernandez have played third base a fair amount in their careers, and while Hernandez is the more reliable and attractive option at the hot corner, he may be needed to fill in elsewhere on the team. In that case, Taylor’s super-utility man can be expected to play a respectable third base. While he may not have the offensive firepower that Muncy does, he does hit left-handed pitching and can field the position generally well.
The Dodgers could also opt to pursue a trade or sign a free agent to fill third base if Muncy doesn’t work out this year. While the rumors that the Dodgers may try to trade for Nolan Arenado circulated heavily this off-season, LA’s front office never budged from Muncy. Still, if Arenado remains on the Cardinals past opening day, and Muncy doesn’t retain his role at third base, the Dodgers could look to acquire the former Colorado Rockies superstar. If Arenado is traded or Andrew Friedman decides not to pull the trigger on a blockbuster move, the Dodgers could elect to sign a journeyman free-agent third baseman.
DodgersBeat Grade: B
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