NAME: Maxwell (Max) Muncy
SCHOOL: Thousand Oaks HS (California)
POSITION: SS
HEIGHT/WEIGHT: 6’1″, 180 lbs
B/T: R/R
D.O.B.: 25 August, 2002
PREVIOUSLY DRAFTED: No, committed to Arkansas
SCOUTING REPORT
When we scouted Peyton Stovall a few weeks ago, we did not yet know that the White Sox also may have interest in Max Muncy. It makes sense that they do, though, given the rumored interest in Stovall. Muncy and Stovall are, after all, superficially similar. Same height, same weight, born a few months apart, both middle infielders, both committed to Arkansas. The main immediately visible difference is that Stovall bats lefty, while Muncy is a right-handed hitter.
But on the field, they are certainly not products from the same factory. Muncy is an intriguing player in his own right. He has exceptional bat control for his age, and can whack the wood through the zone with impressive speed. Yes, I said wood, because Muncy has already shown to be able to consistently barrel up the baseball with non-aluminium bats.
That does not mean he’s a flawless hitter, because his swing path tracks long at times, but he’s shown to be able to work on the flaws and correct them. Especially during the 2021 season, an even better eye for the strikezone and an inate ability to hit the ball where it’s pitched have led to Muncy breaking out.
In 2021, he firmly tapped into his power potential, racking up eight home runs in 18 games, after hitting just two over his previous three seasons. He also tallied almost as many RBI this season (29) as in all previous three combined (30), while posting his highest slash line to date (.485/.585/.909). In short: the kid can hit.
Though he could eventually (literally) outgrow his current position, he currently projects as an average defensive shortstop. He has a strong arm, clocking in between 86 and 90 mph. In prior seasons, he would display some seriously long arm action on throws from distance, but he has worked on a quicker release. This new release has not diminished his velocity in any way. It has led to him being (even) more accurate with his throws.
He has quick hands on transfers to second base and fields the position well — though better while moving to the second base side than to third base. If he ever has to move off shortstop, it will likely be to a corner infield spot. A move to second base does not seem to fit his current defensive profile.
With a 50 speed grade from MLB.com, Muncy does not possess blazing speed, but he is a smart base runner who could steal double digit bases pretty easily in a full season. His base running acumen helps him turn singles into doubles and doubles into triples fairly frequently. He has quick, twitchy reflexes in the field and on the bases, which helps him outplay his opponents every now and then.
SCOUTING GRADES
These scouting grades are from MLB.com. Muncy’s grades probably fluctuate across publications.
HIT: 50
RUN: 50
POWER: 55
ARM: 50
FIELD: 50
OVERALL: 50
PROSPECT OVERVIEW AND FUTURE OUTLOOK
With Major League Baseball seeing a substantial increase over the last decade in slugging shortstops who don’t field their position extremely well, there is a pretty decent chance that whichever team selects Muncy will take a ‘the bat will play regardless’ approach. In the end, it is pretty simple: of all prep hitters, Muncy is one of the more natural ones. He knows the strike zone and sprays the ball to all fields with authority. In the video below, we can see him take a high, outside pitch over the wall in right field. A little later, he turns on an inside heater and smacks it into left field.
From all angles, it’s pretty clear Muncy can hit. He has shown an excellent makeup and a willingness to work on his craft. After succesfully improving his power hitting and defense over the last 10-12 months, it would not be unfair to believe he could display the same quick learning curve in professional baseball. He is as close to pro ready as any of the prep hitters in this draft class. It’s all a matter of which team is willing to spend a first round pick (and bonus) on him at this point.
MOCK DRAFTS
Muncy has been projected to be drafted anywhere between late first round and fourth round over the last year, but he seems to have crept up towards ‘anywhere between late first round and mid-second round’. Still, many mock drafts have omitted him from their most recent editions.
Baseball America does not currently project Muncy to be drafted in the first round. The same goes for MLB.com and our own James Fox, who writes the FutureSox mock drafts. ProspectsLive has the Chicago White Sox taking Muncy at 22, but they state that he could be an underslot signing. This does not appear to be the case (see below), making the pick less likely. BleacherReport also drops Muncy out of the first round, but mentions him around 25 to the Athletics as part of a group of players. Lastly, CBS Sports also does not project Muncy to be a first round selection.
POTENTIAL FIT WITH THE WHITE SOX
Muncy is a Boras client, and it appears his camp wants to cash in and get slot value, despite lots of reporting that he could fall into the second round. Between that and a pretty firm commitment to Arkansas, it remains to be seen if the White Sox are interested in a deal. That said, Muncy would potentially fit with the White Sox in the same way the aforementioned Peyton Stovall would.
The organization is lacking in middle infield depth in the Minor Leagues, but also does not have an immediate need to fill it with college-aged players who could be big league ready soon. Tim Anderson and Nick Madrigal are projected to fill the up-the-middle positions for the foreseeable future. But if you look further down the road, it would make sense to add some high upside talent to the positions. Muncy is that.
Photo credit: video still
Want to know right away when we publish a new article? Type your email address in the box on the right-side bar (or at the bottom, if on a mobile device) and click the SUBSCRIBE button. Our list is completely spam free, and you can opt out at any time. Also, consider supporting FutureSox on Patreon! You will get early access to special articles and Patreon-only posts, in addition to more benefits. Shop our exclusive merchandise! Show your support with the latest FutureSox apparel.