data-mm-id=”_zfzv8qjjh”>Back in early April I wrote an article that, shortly after its publication, made me look like an idiot. I rarely need help in that regard, but in this case the baseball gods saw fit to punish me even further. Undaunted, I'm going to try again while tackling the same subject. Maybe this time I'll get my Max Muncy take right. Then again, maybe not. The thesis of the April piece was that Muncy was completely lost at the plate. Following an awful 2022 season, the Los Angeles Dodgers infielder had opened 2023 by going 4-for-33 with a single extra base hit. He was slashing .121/.293/.212 with 16 strikeouts in 41 plate appearances. Hours after that piece was published, Muncy launched a grand slam and a three-run home run against the San Francisco Giants, then went on an absolute tear for several weeks, raising his OPS to a high of 1.152 and setting my Twitter mentions on fire. Since that time things have … gotten weird. Muncy is having a crazy season. Not crazy good. Not crazy bad. Just … crazy. The offensive explosion he began in mid-April gradually flamed out in the first half of May. Since then, he's been awful again. His numbers are confusing as hell. He's still hitting home runs and his slugging percentage isn't terrible, but he's striking out a ton and only hitting .195. On April 28, Muncy was slashing .260/.426/.726 (1.152 OPS). He ended April with an OPS of 1.184. Then things went south. For the month of May, he slashed .186/.273/.402 (.675 OPS). By the end of the month, his OPS had dropped to .858. But June is where the wheels really fell off. In June, Muncy hit .111 with a .259 on-base percentage, a .222 slugging percentage and an OPS of .481. By the time the month ended, his season OPS was down to .782. So he was cooked, right? Back down to where I said he was in my early-season piece. Boom, validated. Not so fast. So far in six July games, Muncy has picked it back up again. He's hitting .263 with an on-base percentage of .364, while slugging .579. That's an OPS of .943. He already has two home runs in the month, one more than he had in all of June. The whiplash of these numbers is something rarely seen in Major League Baseball. Now, look, Muncy's stats for the season aren't great. He's hitting .195 with a .325 on-base percentage while slugging .469. His .794 OPS is far lower than it should be for someone with 20 home runs and 51 RBI. But that's the thing, it feels like Muncy is power or bust. He has 47 hits all season, 20 are home runs and six are doubles. He's walking at a decent clip but has 82 strikeouts against those 47 walks. His wRC+ of 113 is solid but far below the 139 he put up in 2021. So is this just who Muncy is now? A streaky power hitter who can't provide any consistency and has seasons that don't really make sense? It might be. Then again, with my track record he's probably going to explode for an MVP season.
Related Posts
Dimitri Payet is unsure whether he will be in the France squad for Euro 2016 despite scoring a stunning free-kick with his first touch of the ball in Tuesday s 4-2 friendly win against Russia.
West Ham midfielder Payet stepped off the bench to curl in a trademark set-piece to mark his 29th birthday in fine style.
But despite his impact Payet does not know if he has done enough to persuade coach Didier Deschamps he is worthy of a place in the France squad for the European Championship, which take place on home soil.
I do not know. It is up to the coach to judge, Payet said.
I have tried, as I do in every game, to contribute something. It was a positive performance, I am pleased with it.
I am relaxed, as I have been since the start of the …
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola wants David Silva to remain at the Premier League club beyond the end of his deal in 2020.
Silva, 33, has become a star for City, winning three league titles and an FA Cup since arriving from Valencia in 2010.
The playmaker is contracted until the end of next season, but Guardiola would love to see the Spaniard – who has previously said he is likely to leave at the conclusion of his deal – stay at City beyond that.
In this kind of case, it depends on the player. For me, if he is fit and his performances are the same as this season, I m more than delighted, he told a news conference.
It s not easy to find around the world [a player like Silva].
But I think they have to decide for themselves. At that age…
Antony has promised his third season with Manchester United will be totally different after enduring a miserable 2023-24 campaign.
Much was expected of the Brazilian when he reunited with his former Ajax boss Erik ten Hag at Old Trafford, joining United in a deal worth £82million (€95m) in 2022.
However, he has scored just five goals and added three assists in 54 Premier League appearances to date.
Last term, as United recorded their worst-ever Premier League finish of eighth, the winger only scored one league goal all campaign, in a 1-1 draw with Burnley on his 27th league appearance of the season.
Antony was also accused of domestic abuse by a former girlfriend in Brazil last September, prompting an investigation from Greater Manchester Police. The …
Manchester United remain in talks to sign defender Jonny Evans on a permanent basis despite the collapse of Harry Maguire’s proposed move to West Ham.
Evans, 35, joined on a short-term deal to cover United’s pre-season fixtures in July, but that contract has now expired.
Erik ten Hag has revealed talks are ongoing with the United academy product, who watched Monday’s 1-0 win over Wolves from the director’s box at Old Trafford.
“In this moment, he is not (under contract) but we are talking,” Ten Hag said. “We will see. We are in talks and when we have news we will bring it.”
United’s pursuit of the Northern Ireland international, who left Old Trafford for West Brom in 2015 and became a free agent this summer when his contract with relegat…
The 2016 Copa America Centenario is a showpiece tournament that will see the best sides from South America and the CONCACAF zone fight for the coveted trophy between 3 and 26 June in the United States.
We have already reviewed the and it is now time to take a look at the main candidates for the Golden Boot award, which was shared between Eduardo Vargas and Paolo Guerrero last year.
Barcelona superstar Lionel Messi leads the betting as many believe he will finally shine at a major international competition and help Argentina end a 23-year wait for a major title.
The highly rated forward has suffered a back injury in the friendly match vs Honduras, but he is expected to be fit for the tournament finals and stands a good chance of winning the Golden Boot.
…
Denmark booked a place at the Euro 2020 finals at Republic of Ireland s expense following a 1-1 draw in Monday s crucial qualifier in Dublin.
Three sides were battling for two automatic qualification spots heading into the final round of Group D fixtures, with Switzerland 6-1 winners in Gibraltar going on to claim top spot.
Ireland required victory to have a shot at finishing above their opponents in second and they set up a grandstand finale when Matt Doherty cancelled out Martin Braithwaite s opener late on.
However, there was to be no dramatic winner for Mick McCarthy s men in the closing minutes, meaning they must settle for a place in next year s play-offs.
1-1
FULL TIME | It ends in a draw, as Ireland move into March s Play-Offs
<…
Jake Humphrey is set to step back from his lead presenting role with BT Sport.
Humphrey joined the broadcaster in 2013 and has also gone on to establish his production company Whisper Group as well as the successful High Performance podcast.
The 44-year-old is expected to front his last show for BT Sport in the Champions League final between Manchester City and Inter Milan on June 10.
1/4After 10 wonderful years, I am stepping back from BT.
As a football fan, hosting Premier League matches, FA Cup games and European Finals has meant the world to me. It has been my dream job.
I’ve loved being a very small part of a world class production team.
— Jake Humphrey (@mrjakehumphrey)
“After 10 wonderful years, I am stepping back fr…
Russia won the right to host the 2018 FIFA World Cup after a vote by the FIFA executive committe in Zurich on Thursday.
The announcement was made by FIFA President Sepp Blatter following a secret ballot by the 22 members of the organisation s executive committee in Zurich on Thursday.
It comes after weeks of last-minute lobbying and intense media speculation.
After firming as one of the favourites alongside England early in the process, Russia had slipped behind the joint-bid of Spain and Portugal after the South American Football Confederation threw its support behind the Iberian effort.
Further blows were struck with the release of an unfavourable technical report, which was critical of logistical and transport problems in a country the size of Russia.…
Best odds: 63/100
Bookmaker:
In their last home game of what has been a very successful season, Serie A champions Inter Milan will host Lazio at San Siro on Sunday evening.
And while the match holds no competitive significance for the Nerazzurri and follows their thrashing of Frosinone, the Biancocelesti are still fighting for surety of a European spot for 2024/25 and come into it on the back of a home triumph over Empoli.
Inter Milan
After losing to lowly Sassuolo for the second time this season their only two defeats of the campaign, Inter returned to their usual ways last weekend by smashing relegation-threatened Frosinone at Stadio Stirpe.
The Nerazzurri s five goals—including one from Capocannoniere leader Lautaro Martinez—brought their…
Adrien Rabiot s wait to find a new club is finally over after his move to Marseille was officially confirmed on Tuesday.
Rabiot joins the Ligue 1 club following his departure from Juventus at the end of last season and has signed a two-year contract with Roberto De Zerbi s side.
The 29-year-old was reportedly of interest to several Premier League clubs, including Manchester United, but the France international has opted to return to his homeland.
Rabiot offers the French outfit an experienced option in midfield, having made 163 Ligue 1 appearances during his seven-year stint with Paris Saint-Germain.
He won 18 major titles during his time with the Parisiens before making the move to Juventus in 2019.
The Frenchman appeared 212 times in all co…