A's top draft pick Muncy's game is more than his famous name

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It was almost too perfect. From a pre-draft joke, to a draft-day dream, the Athletics got who they wanted with the No. 25 pick in the 2021 MLB Draft. 

You just have to look past the name, no matter how hard that might be. 

The A's selected shortstop Max Muncy with their top pick in the draft this year. And yes, he has heard the jokes. He has heard everyone's questions for years now. No, he isn't related to the former A's first baseman turned Los Angeles Dodgers NL All-Star. 

"I haven't met him. There was supposed to be some pre-draft communication -- didn't work out. Hopefully I'll meet him soon. I would say it ends up being about once a day," Muncy said to A's media on Sunday night when asked how many times he gets asked if he's related to the other Max Muncy. "Sometimes it's up to three times a day, wherever I'm at.

"I'd say at least once a day, once every two days." 

Muncy was a prep star at Thousand Oaks High School in Southern California. He's seen as a mature player on the field who studies the ins and outs of the game. Listed at 6-foot-1 and 170 pounds, the 18-year-old has strong, quick hands at the plate and should be able to produce more power as he continues to mature physically, too. 

His baseball IQ clearly has stood out as well. Much of that has to do with another name baseball fans should be well familiar with. 

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Jack Wilson is a former NL All-Star and Silver Slugger, who excelled on defense at shortstop over his 12-year big league career. He also happens to now be the head coach at Muncy's high school, where the A's top pick was a sponge absorbing everything Wilson had to say. 

"Playing the same position, there's a lot of stuff he gave me," Muncy said. "One of the main things he gave me was worrying about timing of the runner. Obviously in high school, guys aren't gonna play as fast as they do at Division-I or minor leagues or eventually pro baseball.

"He pushed me a lot every day to make sure I'm shaving seconds off -- whatever I can do to get the ball to first quicker. Just because he knows what's in store for me in the future. He prepped me for that."

Muncy is well familiar with the A's. He loves watching Matt Chapman -- who was the A's last selection with the No. 25 overall pick -- play, and even says he plays the game with a "Moneyball" style as someone who gets on base, fights with two strikes and brings energy to the ballpark. It's always a risk taking a high school prospect, though. 

The SoCal native is committed to head to the South and play college baseball for Arkansas. From his words to his body language, however, it's clear he expects his future to be with the A's instead of the Razorbacks. 

"I think it's a great opportunity and I'm gonna go out and meet with the A's and ... I think it's close to a done deal, but you never know," Muncy said. "I'm excited to play for them. I think we'll see a little bit.

"But I'm guessing it's gonna end up with Oakland."

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Now the hope for the A's is Muncy is here to wear the green and gold for a long time, unlike what happened with the elder Max Muncy when they released him in 2017 and have since watched him become a star in Los Angeles.

It sounds like Muncy's on the same page, making sure his game, not his name, speaks for itself.

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