Max

Muncy

He hit a leadoff triple off the center field wall in the seventh inning and came in to score on Tyler Soderstrom’s RBI single. Muncy has played 12 games and is off to a .319/.333/.574 start in his first 47 at-bats as (usually) the starting third baseman for the Athletics. Still just 23, there’s plenty of fantasy upside here if everything comes together, especially playing most of his games in a minor league park in Sacramento.

Muncy smacked a two-out single off of Cristian Javier in the second inning and scored the game’s first run on Denzel Clarke’s RBI knock. He then delivered a two-out, two-run double in the third that increased the A’s advantage to 4-1. He capped off his three-hit attack with a 404-foot (101.7 mph EV) solo shot off of Roddery Munoz in the fourth that made it 10-1. He’s off to a solid start to the 2026 season, slashing .269/.296/.615 with a pair of homers, five RBI and a stolen base in 27 plate appearances, though he has struck out 10 times.

Muncy was unable to establish himself as an everyday option for the rebuilding Athletics before finishing last year in a versatile utility role. A strong performance this spring ensures that he’ll open the regular season as the Athletics’ starting third baseman but the lack of any real power/speed combo upside limits his realistic fantasy appeal to AL-only formats.

Muncy victimized Rangers’ right-hander Jack Leiter for a majestic 440-foot (108.6 mph EV) solo shot that opened the scoring in the top half of the first inning. He also added a single in the sixth inning, finishing the afternoon 2-for-3. The 23-year-old has been awfully impressive during Cactus League play, hitting .419 (13-for-31) with three homers, eight RBI and a stolen base. At this rate, it seems as though he’ll open the season as the club’s starting third baseman.

Muncy got the A’s on the board first in this one, smacking a two-run double off of Bailey Falter in the top half of the first inning. He gave them another lead in the fifth as he walloped a 1-1 fastball from Hector Neris for a 432-foot (109.8 mph EV) solo shot that made it a 6-5 ballgame. Muncy is competing for the team’s starting gig at third base this spring and he’s letting his bat do the talking for him in the early going.

Muncy fractured his hand last season and posted a .214/.259/.379 line in 220 plate appearances split between third base and second base. The A’s were reportedly close to acquiring Nolan Arenado this offseason, so it makes sense that they’re not exactly handing the 23-year-old Muncy the job. Neither of the three has much of a major-league track record to this point, but Muncy would have the highest upside in AL-only leagues.

Arenado was ultimately traded to the Diamondbacks, which is where he told the Cardinals preferred to play, but the Athletics “would have absorbed more money than the Diamondbacks.” While the Athletics could still pursue options like Eugenio Suarez and Yoan Moncada, Rosenthal reports that they “intend to use Max Muncy at third base, with Brett Harris and Darell Hernaiz also in the mix.”

It seems clear that Muncy, who suffered a fractured hand on July 21, isn’t entirely healthy, or he’d be getting starts over the likes of Darell Hernaiz and Brett Harris. He didn’t play in any rehab games before being activated as the replacement for the injured Zack Gelof, and in four games since rejoining the A’s, he’s totaled two innings at third base and no at-bats. Muncy still should get a chance to win a job next spring. The best route for the A’s might be to bring a solid third baseman and let Muncy, Gelof and other returnees battle it out at second.

Muncy returns to the Athletics’ infield mix for Saturday’s game against the Pirates after missing nearly the entire second half with a fractured right hand that he suffered back on July 21. The 23-year-old rookie figures to fill-in for an injured Zack Gelof (shoulder) at second base during the final week of the season.

Muncy has yet to resume hitting, but it’s a positive sign that he’s been participating in on-field drills again. The 22-year-old rookie hit the injured list last week with a fractured right hand and remains without a definitive return timetable. It’s theoretically possible he’ll make it back at some point before the end of August.