Max Muncy Hit a Home Run Against a Team That Also Has a Player Named Max Muncy

The Dodgers hung nine runs on the Athletics Monday night in Sacramento, but the most confusing moment for Max Muncy came when he was standing on third base and heard fans chanting his name. Except the fans weren’t yelling for him.

They were yelling for the other Max Muncy. The one who plays for the A’s. The 23-year-old rookie drafted in 2021 who shares a name — and not much else — with the Dodgers’ veteran slugger.

Los Angeles rolled to a 9-4 win to improve to 55-30 on the season. Shohei Ohtani did Shohei Ohtani things at the plate, which will get the headlines. But Muncy went 2-for-5 with a homer and two RBIs out of the seventh spot in the order, which is ridiculous production from that deep in the lineup. He’s now hitting .263 with 17 home runs and 37 RBIs.

The weird part of the night wasn’t the batting line, though. It was the whole setting. The A’s are playing their home games this season at Raley Field, which was the Triple-A home of the Sacramento River Cats. That’s where Muncy’s old team is hosting games in 2026. And that’s where fans kept yelling encouragement at a guy who wasn’t him.

“It’s definitely weird, standing on third, hearing your name called, and it’s not you,” Muncy told SportsNet LA’s Kirsten Watson after the game. “Playing here, everyone’s chanting, ‘Let’s go Max,’ and it’s not you. I’d say it’s a little strange. It’s still cool. We’re definitely not in the matrix or anything.”

No Hard Feelings Toward the A’s

The Athletics cut Muncy loose in 2017, a decision that probably looks a little silly now. He went on to win three World Series rings with the Dodgers and became a cult hero in Los Angeles. The A’s, meanwhile, are playing in a minor league park while their stadium situation remains unresolved and their roster hasn’t been competitive in years.

But Muncy isn’t the type to hold a grudge. He credits the A’s for giving him his start, even if they gave up on him too soon.

“It’s always weird. A lot has changed. There’s no hard feelings there,” he said.

He’s probably too busy enjoying things from his end anyway. Batting seventh in a lineup that features Ohtani, Mookie Betts, and Freddie Freeman means pitchers might overlook him. That’s a mistake you can only make so many times before he makes you pay.