Get To Know Your A's: Max Muncy
As the 2015 baseball season approaches in Nashville, the affiliate switch to the Oakland Athletics' organization brings about excitement. With that excitement comes a fresh batch of talented prospects. In the time leading up to the season, we will elaborate on a few of the different players that could be heading to Nashville and expand on the anticipation of another year of Triple-A baseball.
Max Muncy is entering his fourth professional season within the Oakland farm system. The first baseman was rated as the #7 top prospect in the A's organization in 2014 and spent all season with the Texas League champion Midland RockHounds.
Muncy played college baseball at Baylor University where he broke single-season freshman records in home runs (11), RBIs (53) and multi-RBI games (17). He earned first-team All-Big 12 honors in both his sophomore and junior seasons at Baylor before being selected in the 5th round of the 2012 draft.
The star infielder has shown power and the ability to drive runners in, popping 25 home runs and recording 100 RBIs during the 2013 season that he spent between Advanced-A Stockton and Double-A Midland. That impressive showing guided Muncy to being named a California League Mid-Season All-Star.
He also earned the California League Player of the Week on June 10, 2013, putting his power on full display. The slugger smashed five homers and drove in 16 runs during the week, powering three of those long balls in one game alone. The three home runs still stand as a single-game career-high.
After competing in the Arizona Fall League following the 2013 season, he entered the 2014 campaign as a top 10 prospect. He boasted a .385 on-base percentage, tops among all Texas League players, and contributed 63 RBIs as well. The first baseman earned another Mid-Season All-Star selection and was tabbed the Texas League Player of the Week on July 21 after driving in 16 runs. In a season that included drawing 87 walks and recording 30 multi-hit games, Muncy saved his best for the Texas League playoffs.
Midland excelled in their first round bout, taking the series from the Frisco RoughRiders, 3-1, and advancing to the championship set against the Tulsa Drillers. After winning game one, the RockHounds dropped the next two and found themselves in a substantial hole. With backs against the wall, Muncy led the RockHounds by tying a career-high four hits and scoring twice in a 9-4 victory. Midland rode momentum into Game 5, blanking Tulsa by a 5-0 score and achieving their first Texas League championship title since 2009. Muncy concluded the playoff run by scoring a team-high seven runs and tying others for the club lead in home runs (2) and hits (9).
Known as having a terrific strike zone discipline, Muncy's prospect status is still high. The former Baylor Bear has potential to man first base for Oakland in the future, but first, a stop in Nashville may be on his horizon.