Dodgers reportedly pick up Max Muncy's $10 million option after playoff heroics lifted team in World Series
- - Dodgers reportedly pick up Max Muncy's $10 million option after playoff heroics lifted team in World Series
Chris Cwik November 6, 2025 at 9:47 PM
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The Los Angeles Dodgers are reportedly bringing back third baseman Max Muncy for another year. The team took action Thursday, picking up Muncy's $10 million option for 2026, according to The Athletic.
Muncy, 35, is coming off a season in which he hit .243/.376/.470, with 19 home runs across 388 plate appearances. He battled injuries and a slow start before finishing the year with his usual numbers. Despite those issues and his age, Muncy posted a 136 OPS+ in 2025, nearly identical to his 2024 performance.
While that likely made it easy for the Dodgers to pick up Muncy's option, there were times during the season when that wasn't a given. Muncy got off to a horrific start, hitting .180/.295/.236 over the team's first 28 games.
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His entire season turned around April 30, the day Muncy started wearing glasses at the plate. Between April 30 and July 2, he hit .287/.414/.575 in 53 games. Injuries struck at that point, limiting his availability and production down the stretch.
With the Dodgers in fantastic shape prior to the playoffs, the team could afford to let Muncy work his way back to health and into the lineup. By the time the postseason rolled around, Muncy was healthy enough to appear in every game for the Dodgers.
While he hit just .214 over those 17 games, Muncy added three clutch home runs as the Dodgers repeated as World Series champions. His biggest moment occurred in Game 7 of the World Series against the Toronto Blue Jays. With the Dodgers trailing by two runs, Muncy hit a solo home run off Blue Jays rookie Trey Yesavage in the eighth inning to cut the deficit to one run. An inning later, Miguel Rojas clubbed a game-tying home run to send the game into extra innings. The Dodgers went on to win the contest, and their second straight World Series title, in the 11th. Muncy went 3-for-4, with a run, RBI and a walk in Game 7.
After two suboptimal years with the Oakland Athletics to kick off his major-league career, Muncy was designed for assignment and released by the team ahead of the 2017 MLB season. He signed a minor-league deal with the Dodgers that season. Although he did not reach the majors that year, Muncy put up excellent numbers in Triple-A.
That performance earned him an early call-up in 2018. He immediately rewarded the Dodgers by posting a .263/.391/.582 slash line, with 35 home runs, in a breakout season. Muncy earned down-ballot MVP votes and has been a mainstay in the Dodgers' lineup ever since.
With his option reportedly picked up Thursday, Muncy will once again man third base when the Dodgers open the 2026 MLB season.
Source: “AOL Sports”
