Dodgers News: LA Slugger Down on Himself for Rough Season
Max Muncy, who has labored to come back from a torn UCL on his left elbow that has affected his arm and swing alike, has clobbered 21 home runs — as many as he hit last season — in just 72 games.
The Dodgers third basemen still isn't pleased with his first-half results.
"I mean, it's been pretty poor," Muncy said of his first half.
(Via The Athletic)
With a batting average of .198, a strikeout rate of 27.4 percent and a value of only 0.9 wins above replacement entering Friday's game, Muncy has room to improve if his 2021 season in which he hit 36 homers, held a .895 OPS and 4.9 WAR is the standard.
However, the collision at first base on the last day of the 2021 regular season is still haunting Muncy.
"I feel like my year's kind of an anomaly," Muncy said. "With the exception of the batting average, it's really not that terrible a year. But to me, it feels so terrible. It's one of those things where, since the injury in '21, I just haven't been able to find a rhythm. I've had to do things I haven't done before to try to get that rhythm in the box. I can't really get back to myself, and I don't really know what that's about."
(Via The Athletic)
According to manager Dave Roberts, Muncy has been "searching" for ways to feel like the pre-injury version of himself that was at the top of his game in 2021.
Muncy has been experimenting with his swing mechanics but found mixed results. One move, what The Athletic's Fabian Ardaya called "an unorthodox 'step back' move", brought him out of an early slump in 2023, but Muncy still doesn't seem to be confident in one particular approach to hitting. He keeps fiddling.
"Maybe it's a mental thing," Muncy said. "Maybe it's something other than that. But I know I'm still a good hitter, and it's just trying to find ways to get back to that."
(Via The Athletic)
With tons more baseball left to play, Muncy has plenty of time to experiment with the physical aspects behind his struggles at the plate. The question is, how much of a role is his mentality playing in his game this season?
"I know I'm still a good hitter," Muncy said. "I know I'm still an All-Star caliber player. I just have to find a way to unlock it again."
(Via The Athletic)
