Max Muncy opens up on career, rings and Dave Roberts
In a sit-down with MLB.com at Citi Field, Dodgers veteran Max Muncy said he nearly retired before a 2017 Minor League deal, credits a stress-free mindset and his dad for the turnaround, ranks World Series wins as his best moments, and calls manager Dave Roberts "like a father" after nine years in Los Angeles.
Key Takeaways
- Max Muncy nearly retired before the Dodgers offered a 2017 Minor League contract—the only chance he got.
- A mindset shift—stop chasing results and play for fun—changed his career, with his dad key to staying in the game.
- He says health, not a sudden hot bat, is the biggest difference this season, and he is most proud of his defense.
- His best Dodgers moments are World Series titles (three), and he says Dave Roberts "means everything."
The Q&A, excerpted for MLB.com from the Dodgers Beat newsletter with Bill Ladson pinch-hitting, lands as Muncy sits among the franchise’s top home-run hitters. Fans hunting highlights and interview clips can also browse Streaming & TV Alerts for where big-league moments surface on air and online.
Why did Max Muncy nearly leave baseball?
When he signed that Minor League deal in 2017, Muncy told MLB.com he just wanted another opportunity. He was "pretty set on retiring" and said the Dodgers were the only team that gave him that chance.
If he had walked away, coaching was the likely path. He said he has a love and knowledge for baseball and "couldn’t see myself doing anything else." Conversations with his dad—who taught him the game and its love—made him realize he did not want to retire.
What changed Max Muncy’s career in Los Angeles?
Asked for a turning point, Muncy pointed to mindset: approaching baseball differently and changing what he wanted from it. Mentally, he stopped worrying about results he could not control and took "a total 180," which let him play stress-free and have fun at the game he grew up loving.
He never expected to rank among the best home-run hitters in Dodgers history. He hoped for another chance, kept expectations low, and wanted to keep having fun. That humility fits a recent surge in attention: on July 22, 2026, ESPN reported his go-ahead two-run homer in a 9-5 win at Philadelphia was his 229th with Los Angeles, moving him into fifth in franchise history (plus five earlier with the Athletics).
Is this Max Muncy’s best year as a hitter?
People call this his best year at the plate, but Muncy pushed back. He does not feel he is "where I should be as a hitter." The biggest difference, he said, is health. Recent seasons brought strong play mixed with injuries; this year he has been healthier and on the field more.
Defense is what he is most proud of. Per the Fielding Bible cited in the interview, he ranked fourth among Major League third basemen in defensive runs saved with eight. He said he is finally defending at a level he always believed he could reach, after hard work and learning to get over the fear of mistakes.
His best Dodgers moment? "Winning any of the World Series." He plays to win and compete, not for personal accolades, and noted the club has done that three times. On Roberts: nine years together, highs and lows—he is "like a father," and Muncy does not have enough good words for what the skipper means to him.