Reason behind Max Muncy, Dodgers' player, donning spectacles during games: "Any assistance deemed beneficial"
Laid-Back Reflections:
Max Muncy, the Dodgers' power-hitting third baseman, has adopted a unique approach to boost his performance – he's donned some specs! On Friday night, he sported prescription glasses at the Atlanta Braves series opener, and he's been using them with prescription lenses in his sunglasses too.
Now, don't worry, Muncy doesn't need these glasses for 20/20 vision. His eyesight is a remarkable 20/12. But he discovered he has an astigmatism in his right eye, which makes him slightly left-eye dominant, given his left-handed hitting stance. In search of any edge, Muncy thought the glasses could offer some assistance.
Muncy's recent switch seems to be paying off. After a 28-game home run drought to start the season, he cracked one out of the park in his very first at-bat on Wednesday. Sure, he struck out in his next plate appearance, but he followed that up with a triple and a walk – quite the productive outing! And by the way, his performance had been improving even before the glasses – he recorded three hits and as many walks as strikeouts in his last two games.
Muncy started testing his glasses during pregame batting practice and infield drills during the Dodgers' previous homestand. At first, he was hesitant to debut them in the big league games due to a "fish-bowl" effect, but he's since become more comfortable with them.
It's not a completely novel concept for a Dodger player to employ glasses mid-season. Kiké Hernandez followed a similar path last year, discovering astigmatism in his right eye. He, too, had an adjustment period, but once he got the hang of his glasses, he finished the year strong. In fact, Hernandez had a fantastic postseason, contributing significantly to the Dodgers' World Series title!
It seems that Muncy's glasses are making a difference. They've apparently sharpened his pitch recognition, allowing him to track pitches more easily. So, even though the exact statistical impact of his new specs isn't specified, it's undeniable that they've contributed to a few key offensive plays this season!
Fascinating Nuggets:- Muzychka, as Max Muncy is affectionately called, has made quite the transformation – both in looks and on the field!- Kiké Hernandez set a personal record for home runs in a single season after adopting glasses mid-season. Could history repeat itself for Max Muncy?
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- Max Muncy, the Dodgers' power-hitting third baseman, has been using prescription glasses, initially in pregame batting practice and infield drills, during the team's previous homestand in Los Angeles, California.
- Kiké Hernandez, a fellow Dodgers player, followed a similar path last year, discovering an astigmatism in his right eye and adopting glasses mid-season, also in California.
- Muncy's recent switch seems to be paying off, as he broke a 28-game home run drought with a hit out of the park in his first at-bat on Wednesday, despite striking out in his next plate appearance.
- The Los Angeles Dodgers, with their home games played in sunny California, have faced the rough conditions of a drought, but it appears they've found relief in unexpected places – glasses worn by their hitters, such as Muncy and Hernandez.
- With the help of his glasses, Muncy's performance had been improving even before the glasses – he recorded three hits and as many walks as strikeouts in his last two games.
- The glasses appear to have sharpened Muncy's pitch recognition, allowing him to track pitches more easily and possibly contributing to a few key offensive plays this season, much like they did for Hernandez during the Dodgers' 2024 World Series title run.
