Max Muncy has never seemed particularly interested in squeezing every last dollar out of the Dodgers.
But unique clauses in his latest contract are now doing that work for him.
After crossing the 400-plate appearance mark, Muncy activated one of the more unusual incentive structures in baseball. From plate appearances 401 through 550, the Dodgers third baseman earns $15,000 every time he steps to the plate.
But that is only half of it.
Every plate appearance from 401 through 500 also adds $20,000 to Muncy’s 2027 salary. Once he reaches No. 501, that future bump jumps to $35,000 per trip to the plate through 550.
That means each appearance from 401-500 carries $35,000 in combined value between this season and next. From 501-550, that number balloons to $50,000.
If Muncy reaches all 150 available incentive plate appearances, he would collect $2.25 million in 2026 bonuses and add another $3.75 million to his 2027 salary — $6 million in additional value altogether. His 2027 base salary is $7 million, meaning the escalators could push it to $10.75 million. Muncy’s extension also contains a $10 million club option for 2028 with a $3 million buyout.
It is a fitting arrangement for a player who has repeatedly accepted team-friendly deals to remain in Los Angeles. When Muncy signed his latest extension, he openly acknowledged leaving money on the table because he valued remaining with a championship contender.
The concept itself is not unprecedented. Arizona star Ketel Marte can add as much as $2.5 million to a future season’s salary by reaching plate-appearance milestones at 500, 550, 600 and 625. His six-year Diamondbacks extension contains additional escalators tied to MVP voting.
Kansas City’s Vinnie Pasquantino has a similar provision, with his 2027 salary increasing by $200,000 at each of 450, 500 and 550 plate appearances this season. MVP voting can add millions more.
What makes Muncy’s version stand out is the granularity.
Marte and Pasquantino cash in when they reach specific checkpoints. Muncy has effectively turned the final 150 plate appearances of his season into a running meter.
For a player who once wondered whether his baseball career was finished after Oakland released him, merely showing up at the plate now carries a very literal value.
