The Los Angeles Dodgers settled for a disappointing series split with the Arizona Diamondbacks but for Max Muncy, there was pain that accompanied that stretch.
Muncy left Saturday’s game early due to taking a ground ball off his groin area and he was out of the lineup for the series finale.
Although it may seem like common sense for most infielders, especially at third base, to wear a cup, some players still prefer not to. And among them is Muncy, who has learned the pros and cons of both sides.
Muncy originally began not wearing them in an effort to improve his defense, and it just stick with him, he told J.P. Hoornstra of the Southern California News Group:
“It became a thing where (not wearing a cup) forced me to trust my hands, let my hands work in a natural way,” Muncy said. “It just got to a point where over time I was feeling better on defense without it, so I never went back to wearing one.”
But now after experiencing the downside of not wearing one, and already being a much-improved defender from when he first started playing professionally, Muncy is now going back to wearing a cup:
“You see the guys who wear elbow guards that never wore them before– all it takes is one time and then you start wearing it,” he said.
Muncy rated out as an elite defender early into the season but has experienced some regression since taking the shot to his midsection. Specifically, he’s had trouble getting to balls hit to his right and was slow to react on roller.
Muncy ranked in the 14th percentile of defenders in 2022, but he was also elite in the 92nd percentile during the 2021 season. Most of his defensive attempts came at first base in 2021, while most of his reps came at third base last season.
Max Muncy looking to bounce back
From the 2018-21 seasons, Muncy batted .246/.371/.520 with a 138 wRC+ and 118 home runs.
But at the end of the 2021 season, Muncy was injured in a collision at first base, which tore the UCL in his left elbow. That led to struggles early in the 2022 season, and he ultimately finished the year batting just .196/.329/.384 with a 106 wRC+ that was also partly fueled by a late-season rebound.
Now fully healthy, Muncy is determined to prove his down year was an outlier as he looks to return to being a feared middle-of-the-order hitter.
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