Shortstop Max Muncy is doing everything he can to show the Oakland Athletics that he's ready for the chance to make his major league debut.
The young righty is off to a lightning hot start in Triple-A Las Vegas. Through the first week of the season, Muncy is hitting .360/.429/.600 with a homer, two steals, and six RBI.
His line is a bit inflated by a .400 BABIP and he's yet to draw a walk, but everything else we've seen gives Muncy a good shot at getting a call up this summer.
In addition to the strong start to 2024, Muncy raked last year. Between High-A and Double-A, he hit .275/.353/.411 with 10 homers and 13 steals to go along with strong defense at short.
It was enough for the A's to send Muncy to the Arizona Fall League, and he didn't disappoint there either. He posted a .730 OPS in Arizona as a 20 year old and showed glimpses of a bright future for the A's.
Fast forward to today and he's the second youngest player in the Pacific Coast League, though you wouldn't have guessed it based on his performance.
@Maxmuncy_8 is having a big day! He blasts his first Triple-A home run, powering the Aviators to an 8-5 lead! What a moment for Muncy and the team! Let's keep that energy going strong! 💥⚾️ #Aviatorslv pic.twitter.com/slEPrDA0q0
— Las Vegas Aviators (@AviatorsLV) April 7, 2024
At first glance, the A's wouldn't seem to have a need for another shortstop in the majors. Nick Allen is currently getting the lion's share of the playing time at short, and Zack Gelof is locked into the second base job.
Third base is a bit more fluid, with recent acquisition JD Davis starting at the hot corner most nights and Abraham Toro getting work there as well.
Darell Hernaiz can also handle third defensively but the way they're using him, he may be better off getting sent back to Triple-A and getting every day playing time rather than sitting on the bench in Oakland.
Aledmys Diaz is on the 60-day IL and Miguel Andujar is still over a month from starting his rehab assignment after a knee operation. Jordan Diaz probably gets the first look if the A's need to add an infielder to the major league roster but Muncy isn't far behind.
Diaz was underwhelming in his two partial MLB seasons, in 2022 and 2023, and he's off to a slow start in Triple-A this year.
If the A's decide to send Hernaiz down for more regular playing time, or if they suffer another injury that requires a call up, Muncy should be near the top of the list of options.
It would be an aggressive assignment but he's hit well for over a year at three different levels. If he keeps up this pace, he's going to force the A's to make a decision sooner than later.