At the end of August last year, the Los Angeles Dodgers signed a 1+1 year extension contract with Max Muncy (33), the main fielder. Muncy will receive $13.5 million (about 18 billion won) in 2023 with this contract.
In addition, the Dodgers took a team option for 2024. It was a contract that allowed Muncie to spend up to $14 million (approximately 18.7 billion won), including a basic $10 million and an incentive (up to $4 million) according to the number of at-bats in 2023 if the Dodgers decided. It was a two-year contract worth up to 27.5 million dollars (about 36.7 billion won).
There was also controversy at the time of the contract. No one doubted the contribution of Muncy, who joined the Dodgers in 2018 and grew into a key player for the team. He hit 35 home runs in two consecutive years in 2018 and 2019. He hit 36 home runs in 2021 as well, breaking his personal best. He was an OPS-type hitter representing the league. However, at the time he signed the contract, he was a 10% hitter. In fact, Muncy finished 2022 with a batting average of 0.196.
His OPS also fell to .713, making him the player who was below league average. Even in the face of skepticism that the downturn had begun, the Dodgers believed in Muncy. And that belief seems to be returning to the jackpot. The cannon’s sense at the beginning of the season is unusual. Rather, there is an expectation that it can reach its peak.
On the 24th (Korean time), Muncy hit another home run in a game against the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field in Chicago, Illinois. The No. 11 home run of his own season. Fort Muncy’s striking face was literally on fire. He hit 10 home runs in his last 13 games, including this one.
Until the beginning of the season, the batting average fell and there were no long hits, so there was great concern about a ‘failed contract’. In his first nine games, his batting average was 0.121. He had only one home run and only two RBIs and had an OPS of 0.505, which could be called his worst start since his debut. However, once he got the hang of it, he now became a hitter that Aaron Judge and Shohei Ohtani are not envious of.
Muncy started to come alive on the 11th against San Francisco, where he was strong. He then picked up 10 home runs and 19 RBIs in 13 games. His walks also picked up 11. During this period, his batting average was 0.368, his on-base percentage was 0.510, and his slugging percentage reached a whopping 1.158. The OPS is a whopping 1.668.
While he has no mercy on balls that enter his own zone, he is good at picking out balls that fall out of his zone, and it is said that he has found his typical strength. Even in a situation where Freddy Freeman’s hitting feeling has been declining recently, the Dodgers were able to overcome the hurdle well with Muncy and James Outman’s home run shots. The Dodgers’ team home run led by Muncy in front is by far the first in the National League. The Dodgers’ investment in players is once again paying off. 메이저사이트