Max Muncy Dismisses 110-Win Expectations as Dodgers Chase Third Straight Title
The Los Angeles Dodgers have redefined excellence over the last six years. Back in 2019, during a dominant regular-season run, starter Rich Hill captured the team’s mindset perfectly: “We’re as good as we want to be.” Since that declaration, the franchise has added three World Series championships to its trophy case. Yet the internal bar has only risen higher. Even entering the current campaign as the defending champions and a second-seeded team chasing a historic three-peat feels, by Dodger standards, merely expected.
The Mileage of Back-to-Back Global Starts
That context frames third baseman Max Muncy’s blunt response when Erik Kratz of Foul Territory asked about the possibility of reaching 104 wins this season. Muncy didn’t mince words:
“You think about the last two seasons that we played, obviously we won, but they were also two of the longest seasons in history in terms of when we started to when we finished, starting overseas. So it’s just, it’s a lot of mileage on everybody. And to show up and try to win 110 games like that, that would have been almost impossible to do. It’s just not realistic.”
Muncy’s assessment is grounded in a grueling travel schedule unprecedented in modern baseball. The 2024 regular season opened with the Seoul Series in South Korea, where the Dodgers faced the San Diego Padres at Gocheok Sky Dome. The 2025 campaign began at the Tokyo Dome against the Chicago Cubs. In both years, the club played roughly 30 Spring Training games, flew halfway across the world for an opening series, and immediately embarked on a standard 162-game marathon.
No True Offseason Respite
The 2026 season offered no international trip, but the workload hardly decreased. Before Spring Training even began, nine Dodgers players suited up for the World Baseball Classic, logging competitive innings while most peers were still ramping up. The cumulative fatigue Muncy referenced is a tangible factor the front office and coaching staff must manage.
Regular-Season Dominance vs. October Success
History backs Muncy’s pragmatism. In 2019, Los Angeles won 55 of its first 81 games—a 110-win pace—before finishing with 106 victories. The COVID-shortened 2020 season saw a .717 winning percentage and a World Series title. The franchise set a record with 111 wins in 2022, added 106 in 2021 and exactly 100 in 2023, yet came up short in October during each of those three campaigns.
Conversely, the last two championship runs came with 98 and 93 regular-season wins respectively. The evidence is clear: maximizing regular-season win totals is not a prerequisite for a parade.
Injury Crisis and Playoff Positioning
With 17 games remaining, reaching the 104-win mark Kratz mentioned would require a 16-1 finish—an unnecessary gamble for a roster battling attrition. The injured list currently holds 13 names, headlined by two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani. Already restricted from pitching duties, Ohtani was recently placed on the IL due to knee inflammation and biceps discomfort, complicating the lineup’s most dynamic weapon.
While the Dodgers hold the second seed in the National League, the Atlanta Braves remain within striking distance. A slip could force a Wild Card Series appearance, adding yet another layer of high-leverage baseball before the Division Series even begins.
Eyes on the Prize: A Third Ring
The priority is unambiguous: arrive in October with a healthy, aligned roster. Chasing a regular-season win record adds pressure without playoff leverage. Max Muncy isn’t worried about satisfying external expectations for 110-plus victories. He and his teammates are focused on the only number that extends the dynasty—ring number three.
