Dave Roberts Believes Struggling Dodgers All-Star Has ‘Turned a Corner’
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Max Muncy is not having the start to the year he’d like.
The Los Angeles Dodgers third baseman is currently hitting .193 with zero home runs and three RBIs in 57 at-bats. Somewhat of a notoriously slow starter, Muncy has been especially struggling in one aspect of his game he’s known for: Pitch recognition.
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He just has not looked comfortable at the plate thus far. Normally a player with an exceptional eye at the plate, he’s swinging at pitches he’d usually take — and that tends to be the sign of a player pressing somewhat.
Despite Muncy’s struggles, manager Dave Roberts sees some positive signs from the multi-time All-Star after the most recent series agianst the Colorado Rockies.
“He has turned a corner,” Roberts said. “His work’s been good. He’s seeing the ball much better. He’s not as jumpy, not as quick onto his front side. When he’s walking, those are good signs. He took a good at-bat versus the left-hander. So yeah, when he’s getting on base — and it was a ton this series — then that’s a good thing. So I do think that he’s turned the corner.”
The Rockies are a bit of a ‘get right’ team to play against, and the last home series seemed to have helped Muncy a bit. In the last three games, Muncy collected two hits and five walks. He scored two runs, got hit by a pitch, and struck out only once.
This might be a small sample size, but it’s clearly something Roberts is pleased by. The amount of respect Muncy and Roberts have for one another is undeniable — and Muncy figures to still be an integral piece for this team moving forward. Muncy specifically spoke about the recent success he’s enjoyed.
“Last couple games for me (have) been a whole lot better,” Muncy said. “Finally getting the ball back in the zone, taking my walks. Kind of doing what I do best and that’s see deep counts, get the pitch count up, allow everyone else to beat themselves. For me it’s a huge thing. … In the last three days, I’ve really felt like myself.”
When Muncy is getting on base, the team operates at another level. We’ve seen this extensively for nearly a decade, and especially during last year’s postseason versus the New York Mets when Muncy set a Major League record by getting on base 12 consecutive times.
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Photo Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images
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