After being the last team standing for the first time in over three decades, the Los Angeles Dodgers return a majority of their championship core this season.
It’s an impressive group led by Mookie Betts, Cody Bellinger and Corey Seager, among other All-Stars. One player who will be looking to bounce back after a disappointing 2020 campaign is Max Muncy.
He struggled out of the gate after sustaining a fracture in his ring finger from a hit by pitch during Summer Camp. Muncy never used the injury as an excuse, but did admit it caused a bit of a mental block.
As he looks to turn the page, he again refused to use the injury as an excuse for his struggles. “I’m not going to make any excuses. It just wasn’t a great performance last year, but at the same time, I do feel if we played a full 162 games, my numbers would’ve been fine,” Muncy said.
“I felt like I was starting to turn it around towards the end, and I believe I showed that in the playoffs. I felt really good in the playoffs and that’s kind of how I was feeling towards the end of the season.
“I have no doubts if we would’ve had a full season the numbers would’ve looked a lot better than what they were. That being said, there’s still no excuses. I’ve got to perform better to start the year, and that’s what I’m planning on doing.”
In 58 games last season, Muncy batted a lowly .192/.331/.389 with four doubles, 12 home runs and 27 RBI. He did, however, post the second-highest walk rate of his career at 15.7% and found more success in the playoffs.
Muncy started all 18 games and hit .250/.438/.467 with four doubles, three home runs, 14 RBI and 20 walks. He most notably had a double, home run and two RBI in the Dodgers’ historic win over the Atlanta Braves in Game 3 of the National League Championship Series.
Overall, Muncy hit safely in 12 playoff games and in his plate appearances throughout October continued to run counts and draw free passes. “I’ve always loved the postseason. I always feel like I perform great during the postseason,” he said.
“I don’t know what the answer to that is. I don’t know if it’s preparation or anything like that. I prepare every single day like it is the postseason, so it’s definitely not a question of that.
“I don’t know. Maybe it’s when the pressure comes on, I like to perform the best. I don’t know, but hopefully I can take that into this year.”
Muncy motivated to repeat for ‘real’ World Series celebration
While the Dodgers were able to end their World Series drought last year, they were limited celebration-wise due to the ongoing coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
Muncy is now motivated to help the team repeat for a chance at a more normal celebration at the end of the season. “The whole reason you play the game is to win,” he said.
“Just because we won once doesn’t mean it’s over. My goal is to win every single year, and that’s really all I care about at this point. I want to win every single game we can. For me, the personal stats have never mattered. I want to go out there and win as many championships as we can win.”
Have you subscribed to the Dodger Blue YouTube channel? It’s the best way to watch player interviews, exclusive coverage from events, participate in our shows, and more!
