Padres’ Grant Fires at Muncy Amid All-Star Voting
Tensions are flaring between NL West rivals as San Diego Padres announcer Mark Grant took a public swipe at Los Angeles Dodgers All-Star Max Muncy during a Sunday broadcast. The jab came as Manny Machado and Muncy advanced to Phase 2 of the 2025 MLB All-Star voting, where fans will now decide the National League’s starting third baseman.
“Let’s call it the way it is,” Grant said during the Padres’ loss. “Manny Machado is a better third baseman than Max Muncy, alright?”
Muncy’s Numbers Say Otherwise
Despite Grant’s claim, the numbers paint a different picture this season. While Machado led Phase 1 of voting with 2,495,554 votes, Muncy wasn’t far behind with 1,665,829. And his recent surge in performance has fueled his case.
Since the start of June, Muncy’s OPS jumped from .610 to .845, and he currently leads Machado in WAR (2.9 vs. 2.5), RBIs, on-base percentage, OPS, and OPS+. Both players have the same number of home runs, but Muncy only had one homer through April, showing a strong turnaround.
Mud: "Let's call it the way it is. Manny Machado is a better third baseman than Max Muncy alright" pic.twitter.com/S8SfCrg7sl
— Talking Friars (@TalkingFriars) June 29, 2025
Dodgers Focused on Bigger Goals
While Machado holds six All-Star appearances compared to Muncy’s two. However the Dodgers slugger may be on track for his third as he heats up before the break. He’s also silenced early-season trade rumors with his performance. By becoming a key part of the Dodgers’ MLB-best record.
Los Angeles leads the NL West by seven games over San Diego, and they’re eyeing a rare repeat as World Series champions. Something not done since the Yankees in 2000.
The All-Star voting saga is just the latest spark in the ongoing Padres-Dodgers rivalry. But with both third basemen putting up strong campaigns, it’s now up to the fans to decide who starts in Atlanta.
