Coming off back-to-back World Series losses, the Los Angeles Dodgers appeared to be a team on a mission to get back there for a third time and finish the job in 2019.
The Dodgers won a franchise-record 106 games during the regular season, cruising to their seventh straight National League West division championship.
They faced the Washington Nationals in the NL Division Series and were defeated in five games, seeing their season come to a sudden end without much time for everyone to process how it all happened.
A few weeks have now gone by and the Nationals are still playing against the Houston Astros in the World Series, while the Dodgers have had time at home to reflect on the season that was.
Max Muncy was one of the key players for the Dodgers all season long, coming up big on both sides of the ball time and time again. After having some time to think about the loss, he took to his Instagram account to thank the organization and fans for supporting all season:
https://www.instagram.com/p/B4D07j0lAFW/
The Dodgers originally signed Muncy to a Minor League contract after he was released Oakland Athletics. He wound up having a breakout season for Los Angeles the following year.
There were a lot of questions going into 2019 regarding if he would be able to maintain his 2018 success, but he put all of those to rest with an All-Star campaign for the Dodgers.
Muncy hit 35 home runs in 2018 and followed that up with 35 more in 2019 while hitting .251/.374/.515 with 101 runs scored and 98 RBI in 141 RBI. He was also arguably the Dodgers’ best player in the postseason, batting .263/.391/.737 with a series-leading three home runs and seven RBI in the five-game NLDS loss to the Nationals.
In addition to the offense, Muncy also provided the Dodgers defensive versatility by playing both first and second base at a high level, also filling in at third base when needed. It is unclear where he will be playing in 2019, but he will be an everyday player in the middle of the Dodgers lineup that should be very formidable once again.
