Scotland-based rocket company Skyrora has secured a major boost in its latest funding round, thanks to a strategic investment from Ukrainian entrepreneur Max Polyakov. The new capital strengthens Skyrora’s central position in the UK’s plans to establish its own space launch capability.
Closing the UK Launch Gap
This investment marks a significant moment for both Skyrora and the UK space sector. While Britain has excelled in manufacturing and satellite operations, it has long lacked a homegrown launch capability. Now, with Skyrora’s infrastructure in Scotland and Polyakov’s global network of high-tech companies, that gap is beginning to close.
Skyrora’s Growing Launch Capabilities
Skyrora is headquartered in Glasgow and operates facilities across Europe. The company develops rockets that offer rapid and flexible access to orbit, a vital service for the expanding small satellite industry. Skyrora’s innovation-driven approach and focus on sustainability have already made it a leading force in building the UK’s modern launch ecosystem.
Beyond technical progress, Skyrora also stands out for its commitment to sustainability. The company’s proprietary Ecosene fuel, made from unrecyclable plastic waste, offers a cleaner alternative to conventional rocket propellants and embodies a circular economy approach to innovation. Most of Skyrora’s suppliers are also based locally, helping reduce emissions. Meanwhile, the company’s employees actively engage in STEM education across Scotland.
Historic Launch Licence
In August 2025, Skyrora achieved a historic milestone by becoming the first UK rocket manufacturer to receive a launch licence from the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA). The licence allows the launch of the Skylark L, a suborbital rocket designed to test technologies for the company’s upcoming Skyrora XL orbital vehicle. This success followed years of intensive research, engine testing, and flight trials, including a 2022 launch from Iceland that showcased Skyrora’s cleaner, 3D-printed hybrid engine.
Sovereign Launch for the UK
Skyrora CEO Volodymyr Levykin described the licence as “a crucial step toward enabling sovereign launch capabilities for the UK.” The achievement also supports the National Space Strategy’s goals of turning Britain into a global hub for satellite launches, research, and data services. The Scottish Government hailed it as a “landmark moment” for the nation’s rapidly expanding space industry.
Backed by the European Space Agency’s Boost! Programme and the UK Space Agency’s LaunchUK initiative, Skyrora is preparing for its first orbital launch. According to experts, this milestone would restore Britain’s independent launch capability for the first time since the Black Arrow programme of the 1970s.
Polyakov’s Global Vision
Max Polyakov’s involvement brings not only funding but also a shared vision. He has long championed the idea that space technologies must address global challenges such as climate change and resource management. According to Polyakov, “There is a misconception that by investing in the space sector, we are ignoring significant issues on Earth. But we are no longer going to space just for the achievement: we are going there to seek climate solutions, and we must proactively minimise our impact.” His philosophy perfectly aligns with Skyrora’s mission to make space activity a driver of sustainability on Earth.
Max Polyakov
Max Polyakov, a Ukrainian-born entrepreneur and economist, is the founder of Noosphere Ventures, a US-based investment fund focused on space and advanced technologies. Through Noosphere, he has built a vertically integrated ecosystem that includes companies like EOS Data Analytics, Dragonfly Aerospace, and SETS.
Building a Global Space Network
Firefly Aerospace and EOS Data Analytics, both founded by Polyakov, have already gained international recognition, and for the Ukrainian entrepreneur, the partnership with Skyrora represents more than a business deal. As early internet pioneers built the foundations of the modern digital economy, today’s rocket manufacturers are constructing the orbital highways that will carry the next generation of innovation, from climate monitoring to global connectivity and data-driven services.
For decades, those six simple words have heralded the arrival on stage of the world’s greatest rock and roll band.
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From December 10, the fabled film, Rolling Stones — At The Max, returns to select IMAX and Cineworld venues across the UKCredit: SuppliedUsing eight IMAX cameras, it was the first full concert movie to be shown on the giant screens and featured a typically storming setCredit: Supplied
The announcement most likely paves the way for the raw, staccato thrill of Start Me Up, followed by at least two more hours of music mayhem.
It is the moment when all the work put in by the band’s creative director and lighting designer, Patrick Woodroffe, comes to fruition.
Since the 1982 tour supporting the Tattoo You album, Woodroffe and his team have been tasked with shining the spotlight on the Stones — literally.
It has been their job to showcase the swagger of Mick Jagger, the laid-back riffing of Keith Richards, the playful interaction of Ronnie Wood and the effortlessly cool drumming of the late Charlie Watts.
We know ever-energetic Jagger struts across cavernous stages in front of vast crowds, but Woodroffe says: “Keith once told me that Mick could perform on a coffee table, and it would still be great. Our job is simply to provide a setting in which he can work.”
Although the Stones’ age-defying shows continue to this day, fans and casual observers alike are being invited to step back in time to 1990 for what the band calls “a bigger, louder and more immersive” experience.
From December 10, the fabled film, Rolling Stones — At The Max, returns to select IMAX and Cineworld venues across the UK.
‘Visual narrative’
First released in 1991 and now remastered, it captures the previous year’s Steel Wheels/Urban Jungle tour in all its raging glory and is also notable for the final performances with the band of bassist Bill Wyman.
The film was shot in three European cities, London (Wembley Stadium), Turin and, less than two months before the reunification of Germany, East Berlin.
Using eight IMAX cameras, it was the first full concert movie to be shown on the giant screens and featured a typically storming set.
Rocking live staples were present and correct — Honky Tonk Women, Sympathy For The Devil, Street Fighting Man, Brown Sugar and the Stones’ favourite finale (I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction.
Jagger gives a vocal masterclass on mid-Sixties classics, Ruby Tuesday and Paint It Black, while Richards takes his customary turn at the mic for a rousing Happy.
There’s room for live rarity 2000 Light Years From Home, which first appeared on the Stones’ psychedelic 1967 outing, Their Satanic Majesties Request.
And for several tracks on newly minted Steel Wheels — Sad Sad Sad, Rock
And A Hard Place, and a wild, experimental sonic adventure called Continental Drift.
So, which songs in the live repertoire make for particularly dramatic visuals?
“Certain numbers are considered production numbers,” says Woodroffe.
“Sympathy For The Devil is a good example as is Gimme Shelter.
I met Mick for the first time that night in a tiny dressing room under the stage just before the show
Woodroffe
“These are powerful songs, typically longer than most, which allow time to build a visual narrative. For Sympathy, we set the stage on fire! Not literally of course, but smoke machines, flame effects and pulsing red lights give a pretty good impression of it.”
To celebrate the 2025 At The Max refresh, I’m speaking to Woodroffe about his association with the Stones, which stretches back to the early Eighties.
He recalls his initial dealings with Jagger and Co: “The first show I ever made for the Rolling Stones was at the Capitol Theatre in Aberdeen in the summer of 1982.
“It was also the first show for our musical director, Chuck Leavell. So he and I share the distinction of being the longest- serving Stones employees, something we are both very proud of.”
Woodroffe remembers a fateful encounter in that north-eastern corner of Scotland: “I met Mick for the first time that night in a tiny dressing room under the stage just before the show.
“His only direction to me then was, ‘Bright for the first numbers and darker for the ballads’. Not bad advice and something I have followed for the last 45 years.”
So, I venture, how involved have the band members been in the process of designing, lighting and staging a show?
He replies: “Mick and Charlie have been the most involved with helping our set designer Mark Fisher to develop designs for tours. But Ronnie and Keith have also been very aware of the stages on which they perform.
“Keith always refers to the stage as ‘The Office’.”
I always watch a Stones show in two very distinct ways
Woodroffe
Next, Woodroffe talks of the strong rapport he has built up over the years: “Much of the success of the relationship I have with the band is simply based on longevity.
“There is a real shorthand and understanding of what we’re all doing to create these shows, so communication is easy.
“But I’m also genuinely enthusiastic about my work and I think that probably has some resonance with the band.
“I’ve always loved their music — and having a job that allows me to be a part of their world is hugely gratifying.”
Over the years, Woodroffe has learned how to highlight the band in different settings.
“I always watch a Stones show in two very distinct ways,” he says.
“The first is to make sure that our part of it is right in terms of the lighting, the staging and the video content.
“The second is to understand the audience who come to watch the band — and that changes every night.
“An audience of 60,000 in a giant stadium in Tokyo is a very different beast from a club show in Paris or a run of shows at Madison Square Garden.
“It is how an audience acts, how they respond to the band emotionally and, more to the point, how the band responds to them.
“That is something that’s unique from show to show.”
This brings us to the challenges of staging the 1990 Steel Wheels/Urban Jungle tours with At The Max in mind.
Woodroffe says: “Stones shows are often filmed for either live broadcast or simply as a record of a tour.
“Each time, lighting and the staging is adjusted to capture the show on film but, for the IMAX project, we were in unknown territory.
“No one had done anything like this before and everything was different, particularly the cameras themselves, which were enormous and took three people to run them.
“The film cartridges also only lasted 12 minutes, at which point another three people had to reload the film canisters.
‘Huge spectacle’
“Unlike a normal video shoot where a TV monitor can show us instant results and can therefore be adjusted on the fly, the IMAX system had no facility for this.
“Instead, we would shoot something one night, the film would then be flown to the States to be processed, then flown back again to Europe where we would have to find an IMAX cinema near wherever we were touring.
A Stones performance is an interesting mix of huge spectacle — sound, light, video and pyrotechnics — with intimate performance where the heart and soul of this extraordinary band is there for all to see
Woodroffe
“Then we’d go to watch the rushes at one o’clock in the morning when the theatre was empty!”
Next, I ask Woodroffe how he and his team went about achieving the right atmosphere for such big screens?
He answers: “A Stones performance is an interesting mix of huge spectacle — sound, light, video and pyrotechnics — with intimate performance where the heart and soul of this extraordinary band is there for all to see.
“Getting that balance right is key to a successful concert and, on the IMAX film, we achieved that with real success.
“With all the talk of immersive experiences, At The Max is as immersive as it gets.
“You really do feel as if you were there and the Rolling Stones are performing just for you!”
The band with creative director and lighting designer Patrick Woodroffe, centreCredit: Supplied
Like the rest of us, the Stones and their production team are only human, so I’m keen to find out if things ever go wrong.
“Things always go wrong on some level!” says Woodroffe. “But it’s usually quite easy to hide them. Even something as obvious as a microphone going down can easily just be considered part of the energy of a live performance.
“But, in the 45 years I’ve worked with the band, we’ve never lost a show because of a technical issue.
“After all, that famous mantra ‘the show must go on’ applies to us as much as anyone.”
Woodroffe’s career goes back to 1973 and he has lit and directed shows for many artists who sit at rock and pop’s top table.
Among them are AC/DC, The Police, Bob Dylan, Simon & Garfunkel, Rod Stewart, Elton John, and Lady Gaga — but who are his favourite artists to work with, aside from the Stones, of course?
‘My soundtrack’
Woodroffe tells me: “All an audience ever wants to see from an artist or a performer is authenticity.
“However staged or considered or planned a concert might be, it is that connection between the artist and audience that matters — more than any special effect or fancy costume. And the Stones are nothing but authentic.
“I think Stevie Wonder is probably the one other artist that I felt the most connected to other than the Stones, which is of course ironic as Stevie has never seen my work.
“But his music was the soundtrack of my life and growing up. So, to be a part of interpreting that with light and colour, helping him to share it with an audience, was a privilege.”
Woodroffe reserves his final comment for the Rolling Stones, giving a clue to his strong and enduring relationship with them.
“I consider myself a fan and a friend.”
Like the rest of us, the Stones and their production team are only human, so I’m keen to find out if things ever go wrong.
I consider myself a fan and a friend
Woodroffe
“Things always go wrong on some level!” says Woodroffe. “But it’s usually quite easy to hide them. Even something as obvious as a microphone going down can easily just be considered part of the energy of a live performance.
“But, in the 45 years I’ve worked with the band, we’ve never lost a show because of a technical issue.
“After all, that famous mantra ‘the show must go on’ applies to us as much as anyone.”
Woodroffe’s career goes back to 1973 and he has lit and directed shows for many artists who sit at rock and pop’s top table.
Among them are AC/DC, The Police, Bob Dylan, Simon & Garfunkel, Rod Stewart, Elton John, and Lady Gaga — but who are his favourite artists to work with, aside from the Stones, of course?
‘My soundtrack’
Woodroffe tells me: “All an audience ever wants to see from an artist or a performer is authenticity.
“However staged or considered or planned a concert might be, it is that connection between the artist and audience that matters — more than any special effect or fancy costume. And the Stones are nothing but authentic.
“I think Stevie Wonder is probably the one other artist that I felt the most connected to other than the Stones, which is of course ironic as Stevie has never seen my work.
“But his music was the soundtrack of my life and growing up. So, to be a part of interpreting that with light and colour, helping him to share it with an audience, was a privilege.”
Woodroffe reserves his final comment for the Rolling Stones, giving a clue to his strong and enduring relationship with them.
At the start, Norris was true to his claim that he was “not here not to take risks” as he fought hard to defend his advantage from pole position from Verstappen.
But after an aggressive cut in front of Verstappen to head off the Dutchman’s attack on the inside, Norris misjudged his braking point and ran deep into the corner.
That allowed Verstappen to drive past into the lead while Norris also lost second place to Russell.
Through two virtual safety cars for some early incidents, including at the start when Racing Bulls’ Liam Lawson collided with Piastri, Verstappen slowly stamped his authority on the race.
Russell made an early pit stop for the hard tyres, but Norris and Verstappen stayed out.
Norris stopped five laps after the Mercedes and Verstappen 10.
Verstappen was able to rejoin still in the lead, Russell having been unable to close in on the Red Bull despite his fresher tyres.
Norris rejoined behind Russell from his stop but after a few cautious laps to allow his tyres to settle, soon closed his 3.3-second deficit to the Mercedes and swept by into second place on lap 34.
Norris asked his engineer how to run the rest of his race, effectively asking whether he should settle for second or attack.
He was told to “go and get Max” but it soon became clear he had no chance. Verstappen was easily able to repel Norris’ attacks, and in the closing stages the margin extended significantly as the McLaren began to suffer a technical issue which has so far not been defined.
Despite losing nearly three seconds a lap, Norris was able to hold off Russell because of the size of the advantage he had built while chasing Verstappen.
The Red Bull driver’s sixth win of the season – only one behind both McLaren drivers – was taken in emphatic style and and keeps him in title contention, at least mathematically, even if he requires problems for Norris in both remaining races to overtake him.
“It’s still a big gap, we always try and maximise everything we’ve got,” Verstappen said.
“In upcoming weekends we will try and win the race and at the end of Abu Dhabi we will see where we end up, but I’m very proud of everyone.”
Since “Stranger Things” last released new episodes in 2022, a lot has happened. The writers’ and actors’ guilds went on a historic strike, delaying production on the final season. The Duffer Brothers, as the show’s creators Matt and Ross are known, developed a stage play set in the “Stranger Things” world that premiered on London’s West End and transferred to Broadway earlier this year. The star, Millie Bobby Brown, who was 12 when the show premiered, became a wife and mother.
The time between the fourth and fifth seasons is long enough that many fans — save the ones who have been faithfully rewatching and carefully taking notes in preparation — may not remember what happened last. And key context and developments from earlier seasons may be even fuzzier in our memories, like Eleven trying to recall what happened in the rainbow room.
The only guide you need for holiday entertainment.
Let’s refresh our memories together.
“Stranger Things,” set in fictional Hawkins, Ind., (primarily) in the 1980s, follows a ragtag bunch of kids and a handful of trusted adults as they battle evil and supernatural forces in their small town. High school students Will (Noah Schnapp), Mike (Finn Wolfhard), Lucas (Caleb McLaughlin), Dustin (Gaten Matarazzo) and Max (Sadie Sink), along with older teens Nancy (Natalia Dyer), Jonathan (Charlie Heaton), Steve (Joe Keery) and Robin (Maya Hawke), work alongside Eleven (Brown), a girl with special psychokinetic abilities, to protect the town from a parallel dimension called the Upside Down with monsters, electrical storms and a Lovecraftian, other-worldly force. Joining them in the fight is Joyce Byers (Winona Ryder), Will and Jonathan’s mom, police chief Jim Hopper (David Harbour) and a handful of other instrumental characters.
Here’s a recap of the important storylines to remember, a refresher on where the series left off and everything else you need to know to prepare for the fifth and final season that will be released in three installments, beginning with Vol. 1 on Nov. 26, Vol. 2 on Christmas Day and the finale on New Year’s Eve.
Where we left off
The crew gathers as they see dark clouds move over Hawkins at the end of Season 4, indicating that the Upside Down is infiltrating the real world.
(Netflix)
Season 4 of “Stranger Things” concludes in a dark place, literally.
Vecna, the main antagonist from Season 4, had been seeking out four victims whose deaths would open four gates to the Upside Down. Although his final victim, Max, was only dead for a minute (more on that later), he succeeded. The gates converge at the center of Hawkins, culminating in a large boom at the Hawkins Public Library. Although it’s dismissed by officials as an earthquake, our gang knows better — the Upside Down is merging with the real world.
The final moments of the season show dark clouds billowing through the sky as the familiar, dandruff-like particles from the Upside Down float through the air. Earlier in the season, Vecna possessed Nancy, showing her a terrifying vision of mass death and destruction in Hawkins and the four gates to the Upside Down ripping through the town. These are just a few steps in his mission to destroy humanity.
At the end of the season, we also see the long-anticipated return of Hopper, who was trapped in a Russian prison until Joyce and Murray Bauman (Brett Gelman), their mutual friend and a private investigator, help break him out and bring him back home. Eleven and Hopper, who have a father-daughter-like bond, reunite in one of the bright spots of an otherwise dark season.
And although he achieved his goal, Vecna is weak. Nancy, Robin and Steve set his body on fire while he was attacking Max, who was in a trance. Fearless Nancy then shoots him repeatedly until he falls out of the second story of his lair. Although it seems at first that they have killed him, his body is gone by the time the crew rushes to the ground floor, and Will senses that he is still alive.
Characters who died in Season 4
Vecna’s attack briefly killed Max, but Eleven was able to revive her. She’s in a coma at the end of Season 4.
(Netflix)
Max Mayfield (sort of)
Vecna preyed on Max for much of Season 4, and in the final episode, playing Kate Bush’s “Running Up That Hill” on repeat from her Walkman is not enough to save her. Vecna kills Max, but Eleven is able to revive her by using her powers to restart her heart. The last shot we see of Max is of her hospitalized in a coma, with broken bones and her concerned friends by her side.
She’s alive, but her temporary death was enough for Vecna to accomplish his goal. Theories about whether Max’s consciousness is trapped in Vecna’s visions, or if she will recover with powers that enable her to spy on Vecna, have been circulating on social media since the release of Season 4, but fans of the character shouldn’t fret. Sink is listed in the credits for Season 5 and she is seen briefly in the Season 5 trailer, with Lucas carrying her body as a Demogorgon, one of the monsters in the show, runs toward them.
Although he died in the Season 3 finale, Billy Hargrove, Max’s stepbrother, is noteworthy since his death took a big emotional toll on Max, filling her with guilt and grief, which primed her to be one of Vecna’s targets.
Eddie Munson
This fan-favorite character played by Joseph Quinn died in the final episode of Season 4, but he went out with a blaze. Eddie and Dustin were in the Upside Down carrying out their part in the plan to attack Vecna, and Eddie shredded out Metallica’s “Master of Puppets” on his guitar in order to distract the Demobats protecting Vecna’s lair. Dustin says the musical ruse is the “most metal ever,” but it’s not enough to keep them safe from the terrifying creatures.
After Dustin makes it through the gate back into the real world, Eddie stays behind to drive the bats away and buy the group more time. He is eventually attacked by the creatures, and dies in Dustin’s arms after protecting his friends.
Eddie initially befriended Mike, Lucas and Dustin because of their shared love of Dungeons & Dragons, forming the Hellfire Club to play the game together. Eddie’s death is likely to reverberate with Dustin in the upcoming season, who is seen in the trailer wearing his Hellfire Club T-shirt.
Dr. Martin Brenner
Dr. Brenner, or Eleven’s “papa” as his test subjects called him, was killed by military gunfire when officers invaded his research facility in search of Eleven. They believed she was behind the strange happenings and murders taking place in Hawkins.
Brenner (Matthew Modine) played a significant role in the controversial MKUltra program, a real-life covert CIA mind-control and chemical interrogation research program. He took a young Henry Creel (who ultimately became 001/Vecna) into his custody after discovering he possessed psychokinetic abilities and tried to replicate those abilities in other children, including Eleven.
In his final moments, Brenner tells Eleven he is proud of her and that all he ever wanted was to help her and protect her, despite the psychological and physical abuse he inflicted on her.
Other important things to remember
Although Hopper and Joyce were able to rescue Will from the Upside Down, he is still closely tied to the dimension and its monsters.
(Netflix )
Will’s connection to the Upside Down
Since he was trapped in the Upside Down during Season 1, Will hasn’t been able to sever his tie to the dimension. In Season 2, he is possessed by the Mind Flayer and feels pain when the vines in the Upside Down are damaged or Demogorgons are hurt. He is tapped into the dimension’s “hive mind” and can sense Vecna’s presence, usually through a strange feeling on the back of his neck.
Eleven’s ‘sister’
Although all of the test subjects who were raised alongside Eleven were killed by Henry/001 in the massacre at Hawkins Labs (Season 4, Episode 7), one of her “siblings” managed to escape the lab before that fateful day. Kali, or 008, made a brief appearance in a Season 2 storyline — Eleven temporarily joined her gang of misfits to help in Kali’s mission of getting revenge on people who worked in the lab.
Kali did not appear in Seasons 3 or 4, but aside from Eleven and Henry/Vecna, she is the only other person known to have powerful psychokinetic abilities.
‘The First Shadow’
The stage play “Stranger Things: The First Shadow” is a prequel diving into Henry’s origins and how he eventually became 001, and Vecna. Although it is considered a standalone work, the Duffer Brothers collaborated with “Stranger Things” writer Kate Trefry to create the play’s story and they have confirmed it is canon in the “Stranger Things” universe.
Some fans who have compared the details from the play and the series say that the play suggests Vecna might not be in control of the Mind Flayer, as he has suggested. Rather, the Mind Flayer is in control of him, or that it had at least corrupted his human self.
Fans who have traced back through the series to see if this theory holds water point out that Dustin, whose theories about the Upside Down tend to be correct, suggested the same thing in Season 4. Speaking about the Mind Flayer, he says, “If the Demogorgon was just his foot soldier, Vecna’s his five-star general.”
What we know is coming next
In the first look at Season 5, Will and Vecna come face to face.
(Netflix)
Netflix released the first five minutes of the new season in early November, in which we see a flashback to Will’s time trapped in the Upside Down. A Demogorgon drags an unconscious Will to Vecna’s lair, and Vecna ominously says they can begin their work “at long last.” “You and I, we are going to do such beautiful things together, William,” he continues.
It looks like we can expect a showdown between our heroes and Vecna, but it’s possible we might also get further explanation about why Will was specifically targeted from the beginning.
Is this the end of ‘Stranger Things’?
In a word, yes. But new stories taking place in the world of “Stranger Things” will be coming. Netflix recently unveiled the first look at an animated spinoff series, “Stranger Things: Tales From ’85.” The series is set between the events of Seasons 2 and 3, and it will feature the main characters fans know and love. The Duffer Brothers collaborated with showrunner Eric Robles to create the series, which does not have a premiere date yet.
The Duffer Brothers are also developing a spinoff series with new characters and a “clean slate,” which they teased in a recent interview with Variety.
The now two-time defending World Series champion Dodgers made their first move of the offseason on Thursday.
It will ensure a familiar face is back for their pursuit of a three-peat next year.
The team picked up its $10-million club option for third baseman Max Muncy, according to a person with knowledge of the situation not authorized to speak publicly, bringing the now longest-tenured member of the roster back for what will be his ninth season in Los Angeles.
The decision was not surprising. This year, Muncy had perhaps his best all-around season at the plate since a 2021 campaign in which he received MVP votes. He hit .243, his highest mark since that 2021 season, with 19 home runs, 67 RBIs and an .846 OPS in 100 games. He atoned for a relatively quiet postseason by hitting a crucial home run in the eighth inning of Game 7 of the World Series, setting the stage for the team’s ninth-inning comeback and eventual extra-innings, title-clinching victory.
Muncy was in the final season of a two-year, $24-million extension he signed in the 2023 offseason. And injuries have been a problem for the 35-year-old in recent years (he was limited this past season by a knee contusion in July and an oblique strain in August).
However, the $10-million option was a relative bargain for a player who, prior to second-half injuries, had shaken off a slow start to the year by being one of the hottest hitters in the majors in May and June.
His return will also help keep a key part of the club’s veteran core intact, bringing back a player who — in the wake of Clayton Kershaw’s retirement — has been with the Dodgers longer than anybody else.
Muncy’s 2025 season did not start well. After an offseason in which trade rumors involving Nolan Arenado swirled, and a spring training spent working through the lingering after-effects of an oblique and rib injury that limited him in 2024, Muncy hit .176 through his first 34 games, and had only one home run.
In early May, however, he started wearing glasses to address an astigmatism in his right eye. Around that same time, he also found a breakthrough with his swing, one that helped him begin punishing fastballs up the zone. From May 7 to the end of June, he hit .315 with 12 home runs and a 1.039 OPS, one of the best stretches of his 10-year, two-time All-Star career.
That streak was derailed on July 2, when Muncy suffered his knee injury after being slid into at third base. His return a month later was cut short, too, when his oblique began bothering him during a batting practice session in August.
Those IL stints preceded a September slump that carried into the postseason, when Muncy hit just .173 entering Game 7 of the World Series.
But that night, he collected three hits, had the pivotal eighth-inning home run off Trey Yesavage that got the Dodgers back within a run, and became one of six players to contribute to all three of the Dodgers’ recent World Series titles.
“It’s starting to get a little bit comfortable up here,” he joked from atop the stage at the Dodgers’ World Series celebration on Monday. “Let’s keep it going.”
On Thursday, the team ensured his run with the Dodgers will, for at least one more season.
Alex Vesia’s option also picked up
The Dodgers on Thursday also picked up their $3.55-million club option for reliever Alex Vesia in 2026, according to multiple people with knowledge of the situation not authorized to speak publicly. That was also not a surprise, though Vesia still would’ve been under team control and eligible for arbitration if they hadn’t.
Vesia was one of the few consistent performers in the Dodgers’ bullpen this year, posting a 3.02 ERA in a career-high 68 appearances. He was also one of their most trusted relief arms in the playoffs, bouncing back from a two-run outing in the wild-card series opener with 4 ⅓ scoreless innings the rest of the way.
Vesia was not available for the World Series as he and his wife dealt with what the team described as a “deeply personal family matter.” But he figures to be a key cog in their bullpen again next season, in what will be his last before reaching free agency.
