Sustained winning demands sacrifice. Max Muncy reveals the relentless grind and missed recovery time that comes with chasing championship after championship.
For the Los Angeles Dodgers, winning a World Series no longer signals the end of the grind. According to Max Muncy, it barely marks the beginning of the next one.
Speaking on Spectrum SportsNet LA, Muncy admitted the emotional weight of back-to-back championships has yet to fully sink in. Not because it lacks significance, but because the modern baseball calendar offers little time for reflection. Almost immediately after the final out, the Dodgers were already staring ahead to another season — one with historic expectations.
“It hasn’t really set in yet,” Muncy said. “We’re already getting ready for the next season.”
That sense of urgency reflects the reality of sustained success. Teams that play into late October — or beyond — sacrifice the recovery time most players rely on to reset physically and mentally. Muncy explained that while many players take weeks off before restarting training, championship teams don’t have that luxury.
“When your offseason is that short, your body doesn’t get a full chance to recover,” he said. “That’s where you start seeing the toll it takes over a long season.”
The Dodgers’ recent schedules have amplified those challenges. Back-to-back years opening the season overseas — first in Korea, then Japan — extended their workload even further. Add in consecutive World Series runs, and the cumulative wear becomes impossible to ignore. Muncy noted that this is precisely why repeating as champions is so rare in baseball.
Those physical demands make moments like Muncy’s Game 7 World Series home run even more remarkable. Yet when asked about the memory, Muncy revealed his focus never drifted toward personal accomplishment. Instead, his immediate thought centered on teammate Shohei Ohtani.
“The first thing I thought was that it guaranteed Shohei another at-bat,” Muncy said. “When you have a player like that, you want to give him every chance.”
That selfless approach defined the Dodgers’ postseason run. Unlike previous championships dominated by a single star, Muncy emphasized that this title required contributions from every corner of the roster. From defensive stops to timely hits, each player left a fingerprint on the outcome.
“We don’t win that World Series without every single guy,” he said. “Everyone made a play at some point that mattered.”
Even with a championship in hand, Muncy admitted he’s had little time to truly reflect. Offseason training began quickly, the holidays flew by, and with baby number three arriving any day, life has remained in constant motion.
“It feels like we had about a week off,” Muncy joked. “Now it’s January, and we’ll be in Arizona before we know it.”
As the Dodgers look ahead to another season — this time without an overseas opener — Muncy believes a slightly delayed ramp-up could help preserve bodies over the long haul. Let spring training serve its original purpose: preparation, not perfection.
As for celebrating a potential three-peat with a tattoo like some teammates? Muncy was firm in his response.
“I don’t do needles,” he laughed.
No tattoos, no shortcuts, and no time to slow down. For Muncy and the Dodgers, the cost of winning is constant — and they’re willing to pay it again.
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