No, that’s not a mistake. For the first time in the big leagues, we have reached Maximum Muncy.
It's the third time since 1901 that two players with the same name faced off against each other, playing the same position and hitting in the same spot in the lineup. The two previous occasions took place in the same series between the Blue Jays and the Marlins in June 2000, when Alex Gonzalez and Álex González both hit seventh and started at shortstop.
The two infielders named Max Muncy -- who both share the same Aug. 25 birthday and were born exactly 12 years apart yet are completely unrelated -- squared off in the series opener between the A’s and Dodgers at Sutter Health Park.
This is a moment the A’s Muncy has been waiting for since he was a child. He became aware of the elder Muncy, who was originally drafted by the A’s in 2012, through his grandparents around the time he was 8 years old. From there on, the younger Muncy followed his namesake’s journey from college to the pros.
“When he was in college at Baylor, my grandparents found him and they’re like, ‘Oh, there’s another baseball player,’” Muncy said last week on A’s Cast. “I knew when he got drafted. I knew when he was with the A’s. I knew when they let him go and the Dodgers picked him up. All the transactions, I had known because every time I went over to my grandparents’ house they would keep me updated.”
After making the A’s Opening Day roster in 2025, Muncy, a first-round Draft pick by the A’s in 2021, thought he was finally going to face the Dodgers’ Muncy last season in May when the A’s played a series at Dodger Stadium. But shortly before that three-game set, the A’s Muncy landed on the injured list.
While Monday marked the first Major League game featuring the two Max Muncys, this was not their first professional encounter. That occurred back in August 2024. Then, playing for Triple-A Las Vegas, the A’s Muncy faced Triple-A Oklahoma City, whose roster included a rehabbing Muncy as he worked his way back to the Dodgers.
The A’s Muncy had the standout performance that night with four hits, including a pair of doubles. The two took a picture before the game to commemorate the occasion, then later ran into each other at a nearby restaurant after the game.
“He kind of did more of the talking,” the younger Muncy said. “I was like, ‘Nice to meet you. Glad we finally did this.’ He just kind of was like, ‘Hey man, you’ve had a great start to your career. You’re doing good stuff. I wish you the best.’ It was kind of just mutual. … We’re somehow attached in some way. It feels like there’s an attachment. This was before I debuted. He was like, ‘Man, I hope you make it up. Good luck.’”
The elder Muncy outshined the younger one Monday -- and his Dodgers won 9-4 -- slugging a home run off A’s starter Gage Jump as part of a two-hit night with two RBIs. The younger Muncy went 1-for-3 with a walk; his one hit was a grounder down the third-base line that bounced off the bag before it reached his counterpart.
After the game, the Dodgers’ Muncy reflected on what was a truly unique experience, which will continue throughout this three-game series.
“It’s a strange feeling,” Muncy said. “You’re standing at third base and they’re announcing that you’re hitting, and it’s not you. Thankfully, it’s only just a couple of games, because I don’t know if I’d ever get used to it, but yeah, strange.”
The A’s Muncy, who is in his second big league season, has a long way to go to match the 35-year-old Muncy, a two-time All-Star and three-time World Series champion.
One thing is certain: The veteran will be keeping a close eye on the kid.
“He’s a great kid,” Muncy the Elder said. “His career is off to a great start. So, obviously, I’m rooting for him.”