I verified the finalists, Muncy’s 2026 statistics, his previous Silver Slugger finishes and the Dodgers’ team nomination. Muncy has been recognized as a finalist before, but he has never won the award.
Max Muncy Gets Another Chance To Win First Silver Slugger
SEO Title: Max Muncy Named Finalist For First Silver Slugger Award
Meta Description: Max Muncy is one of two National League Silver Slugger finalists at third base after leading the position in OPS, slugging percentage and wRC+.
SEO Keywords: Max Muncy Silver Slugger, Dodgers Silver Slugger finalists, Max Muncy Dodgers, Shohei Ohtani Silver Slugger, Dodgers Offensive Team of the Year, Alex Bregman Silver Slugger
Max Muncy has accomplished nearly everything an established Dodgers hitter could hope to achieve.
He has become an All-Star, surpassed 200 career home runs, played a major role in championship runs and established himself as one of the most productive reclamation projects in franchise history.
One individual honor continues to elude him.
Muncy has never won a Silver Slugger Award.
That could finally change after Muncy was named one of only two National League finalists at third base for the 2026 award. He will compete against Cubs third baseman Alex Bregman when the winners are announced November 17.
Muncy Built One Of His Strongest Cases
Muncy finished the regular season batting .252/.348/.490 with 29 home runs, 76 RBIs and a .837 OPS.
He appeared in a career-high 149 games and collected a career-best 27 doubles while earning his third All-Star selection.
More importantly for his Silver Slugger case, Muncy led qualified National League third basemen in several significant offensive categories:
.837 OPS
.490 slugging percentage
129 wRC+
A 129 wRC+ means Muncy produced offense approximately 29 percent better than league average after adjusting for factors such as ballpark.
His competition is Bregman, who hit 28 home runs and finished with a .464 slugging percentage during his first season with Chicago.
The Silver Slugger is selected by Major League coaches and managers, who cannot vote for players from their own teams. Voters consider overall offensive production rather than relying on one individual statistic.
Muncy’s combination of power, on-base ability and production relative to other third basemen gives him a strong case.
This Is Not Muncy’s First Opportunity
Muncy has previously received Silver Slugger finalist recognition without winning.
He finished among the leading National League first basemen in 2021 before returning to the finalist group at third base in 2023 and 2025. He finished among the top three in voting in 2021 and 2025.
Muncy’s 2025 candidacy was especially impressive because injuries limited him to 100 games.
He removed that concern this season by staying in the lineup for a career-high 149 games and producing one of the strongest all-around offensive seasons among National League third basemen.
This year’s two-player field also gives Muncy a clearer opportunity than previous seasons in which he faced a larger group of finalists.
Muncy Could End A Long Dodgers Drought At Third Base
A Muncy victory would also end a lengthy drought for Dodgers third basemen.
Adrián Beltré was the last Dodgers player to win a Silver Slugger at the position, earning the award during his historic 2004 season.
Beltré hit .334 with 48 home runs, 121 RBIs and a 1.017 OPS that year before leaving Los Angeles in free agency.
Several productive Dodgers third basemen have followed, including Justin Turner and Muncy, but none has won the award since Beltré.
Muncy now has an opportunity to become the first in more than two decades.
Shohei Ohtani Faces Kyle Schwarber At DH
Muncy is not the only Dodgers player competing for an individual Silver Slugger.
Shohei Ohtani is one of two National League finalists at designated hitter alongside Philadelphia’s Kyle Schwarber.
Ohtani led National League designated hitters in on-base percentage, OPS and wRC+ while batting .277/.377/.512 with 30 home runs. He also added 26 doubles and 11 stolen bases despite injuries affecting his production during the second half.
Schwarber presents a difficult challenge.
The Phillies slugger tied for the Major League lead with 45 home runs. He is attempting to win the second Silver Slugger Award of his career.
Ohtani has already won four Silver Sluggers, including the previous two as a member of the Dodgers.
His production remained outstanding by positional standards, but Schwarber’s significant advantage in home runs could make this one of the more interesting votes.
Dodgers Nominated For Offensive Team Of The Year
The Dodgers are also finalists for the National League Offensive Team of the Year alongside the Brewers, Cubs and Nationals.
Los Angeles finished second in baseball with a .762 team OPS, trailing only Chicago’s .767. The Dodgers also finished with a .424 slugging percentage.
The nomination recognizes the overall depth of a lineup that remained one of baseball’s most productive despite fading during the second half.
That late decline became a significant issue during the postseason, but it does not erase the team’s full regular-season production. As we previously examined in our look at why the Dodgers’ offense faded during the second half, the challenge is sustaining that production through September and October.
The Dodgers won the inaugural National League team Silver Slugger in 2024 and were finalists again in 2025.
Muncy Has A Legitimate Opportunity
Muncy is not simply receiving recognition for another productive season.
The statistical comparison gives him a real opportunity to win.
He led National League third basemen in OPS, slugging percentage and wRC+. He stayed healthy for a career-high number of games and finished with more home runs than Bregman.
Bregman remains a respected hitter who produced one of his best power seasons in several years, so the result should not be treated as automatic.
But this may be Muncy’s strongest Silver Slugger case yet.
After multiple finalist appearances and nearly a decade of providing left-handed power in the middle of the Dodgers’ lineup, he may finally add the missing individual honor to his career.
Does Max Muncy deserve to win his first Silver Slugger Award?