The Los Angeles Dodgers may be facing an issue with Max Muncy, whose defensive struggles are becoming a source of frustration for both him and manager Dave Roberts. Despite the errors—some of them resembling rookie mistakes—Roberts believes Muncy is putting in the work to overcome them.
“I see him working consistently every day. So that’s what I’m going to keep hoping on. But, yeah, he’s still got to make the plays.” Roberts told The Orange County Register about Muncy.
Roberts added more detail, saying, “Sometimes it’s a range thing. Sometimes it’s a throwing thing. Sometimes it’s getting the ball out of the glove and sometimes it’s just not catching it cleanly. I know he’s frustrated. I see him working consistently every day. So that’s what I’m going to keep betting on. But, yeah, he’s still got to make the plays.”
Roberts wants to keep trusting Muncy
Even though Dave Roberts has watched Max Muncy struggle with his throws — something he admitted twice — he still views him as a capable third baseman. But as a manager, Roberts can’t ignore the poor defensive MLB numbers.
“I see a good defender. But I understand the statistics, the numbers, all that stuff. That’s why I’m just as frustrated as he is because I see a good defender at third base,” Roberts said of Muncy’s situation.
“But I do feel the last few weeks the consistent quality of at-bat, the hard contact – if you can kind of look at that small sample of three weeks I think it’s been pretty good. Even with some of the defensive struggles.”
Muncy has had to adjust
It’s worth noting that Muncy has had to adapt to third base, as first base and DH are locked down by Freddie Freeman and Shohei Ohtani. The transition hasn’t been easy — in 2023, he committed 16 errors at the position, highlighting the ongoing challenges.