Los Angeles Dodgers: What to do if Max Muncy does regress

The Los Angeles Dodgers had one of the best breakout players in the league last year in Max Muncy, who could be the target of a sophomore slump.

We have seen this same song and dance a million times before. A power-hitting (usually left-handed) bat bursts into the league with a huge breakout year, only for the second year to be a huge drop-off and a disappointment. That is what potentially awaits the Los Angeles Dodgers‘ Max Muncy.

Muncy was one of the best feel-good stories in Major League Baseball last season. After spending his entire career as a AAA replacement-level guy, Muncy burst onto the scene and became one of the scariest bats to face in 2018.

Muncy slugged 35 home runs in 481 plate appearances and boasted a .973 OPS because of his tendency to get on base via walks. He had the fourth-highest walk rate of any player with at least 450 plate appearances and had the best at-bat per home run ratio in the league, hitting a home run every 11.3 at-bats.

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Muncy’s did a lot of great things for the Dodgers in 2018. He was clutch when the team needed it. He had a massive home run against Edwin Diaz in the top of the ninth inning in Seattle, with two strikes!

His peak came in game three of the 2019 World Series, where Muncy sent Dodger fans into a frenzy with a walk-off home run in the bottom of the 18th inning.

Now, as we head into 2019, there is a legitimate worry that he could fall into the dreaded sophomore slump. Although he came up with two doubles against the Los Angeles Angels on Sunday night, Muncy is hitting just .208 this spring with 17 strikeouts in 54 plate appearances.

Usually, spring stats are inflated and as much as fans want to pretend like they do not matter, a 31.5 percent strikeout rate in spring is concerning.

Muncy should still get the chance to be the starter on Opening Day and have the job until he loses it. Dave Roberts has even said himself that he has not thought of a contingency plan if Muncy does indeed continue to struggle.

Don’t worry, Doc. We have you covered.

If Muncy continues to struggle and does fall off there is one reasonable thing the Los Angeles Dodgers should do, and it does not mean starting David Freese as the everyday first baseman.

The answer is moving Cody Bellinger back to first base, even if the team (and the fans) are excited to see how he can be as an outfielder. Bellinger is a natural first baseman at the end of the day and is an elite defensive first baseman. The only reason he is playing in the outfield is to give Muncy a chance.

So what does that do in right field, especially with Yasiel Puig gone? Simple, make Alex Verdugo a member of the everyday lineup as the primary right fielder.

Verdugo is already appearing to be just a bench piece with Joc Pederson and Chris Taylor getting the most recent starts in left field, which we have already deemed a mistake by the team.

Verdugo is a highly valuable prospect and the Dodgers’ approach with him is weird. The team is so insistent on not trading the valuable outfielder but has not given him the chance to spread his wings and succeed.

Potential is just potential until he proves it, I get that, but he hasn’t gotten a chance to prove it across a large sample size. At the very worst he can be a speedy outfielder that gets on base 28-30 percent of the time that can steal bases and make things happen.

That is something the Dodgers haven’t really had since Dee Gordon was traded. Throw in the fact that Verdugo is an elite defensive piece with an arm that is reminiscent of Yasiel Puig and this becomes an easy decision to make.

There is no reason to start Freese at first base or even call on someone in the minor leagues, such as Edwin Rios or Matt Beaty.

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The answer to that potential problem is right in front of the Los Angeles Dodgers’ faces. Hopefully, Roberts and the front office makes the right choice.

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