BY GEORGE DICKIE Muncy hefts a big stick for playoff-bound Dodgers

In the category of reclamation projects that became stars for the Los Angeles Dodgers, we present for your consideration Max Muncy.

Indeed in their All-star first baseman, the Angelenos have a legitimate middle-of-the-order force who has gone from the proverbial outhouse to the penthouse in the space of five years and is now a big reason why the team is likely headed for another postseason appearance.

Selected in the fifth round by the Oakland A’s in the 2012 MLB Draft, the Dallas-area native put up solid numbers in the A’s system before being called up to the bigs in 2015. There, he floundered, hitting a combined .195 in 2015-16 with five home runs, 17 RBIS, a .290 on-base percentage and an unsightly .611 OPS in 96 games. After being designated for assignment just before the 2017 season, he was eventually released.

Signing a minor league deal with the Dodgers that year, he spent the season at Oklahoma City in the Pacific Coast League, retooled his swing and surfaced with the Dodgers in 2018 a different hitter. He hit 35 homers in his first full year in Chavez Ravine in only 395 at-bats, to go along with a .263 average, a .391 on-base percentage and an OPS of .973.

A similar output followed in 2019, when he made his first All-star appearance. His numbers fell off precipitously in the pandemic-abbreviated year of 2020, one that hurt a lot of players. But he’s returned to his customary level of play this season, through mid-august hitting .272 with 25 homers, 69 RBIS, a .402 on-base percentage and a .952 OPS. He also earned his second All-star berth.

Muncy and the Dodgers can be seen in action Sunday, Sept. 5, when they conclude a three-game series in San Francisco against the NL West rival Giants in a game airing on ESPN.