Andrés Muñoz is evolving more than just his arsenal

Two months past his 25th birthday, the Mexican-born Muñoz is suddenly the old hand in Seattle’s bullpen

When Andrés Muñoz arrived in Seattle at the trade deadline in 2020, he was a shy, baby-faced 21-year-old with braces and close-cropped hair who could reportedly hit almost 103 on the radar gun; he was also about five months into his rehab process from Tommy John surgery, and wouldn’t pitch competitively for the Mariners for another year-plus.

Four years later, Muñoz has straight teeth that show when he drops one of his frequent smiles; a beard covers that baby face, and he has let his natural hair spring out from under his cap in glossy dark curls. More importantly, he’s pitched about quadruple the innings he had under his belt when he came to Seattle, even while being slowed by injuries, and has worked his way into a back-end role in Seattle’s bullpen, finding himself suddenly the de facto closer after the Paul Sewald trade at the deadline last year. Now, after some off-season trades and early-season injuries, Muñoz suddenly finds himself the veteran presence in Seattle’s bullpen, two months past his 25th birthday.

It’s a role Muñoz is ready for, both physically and mentally. After being slowed down last spring after off-season bone-fusion surgery in his right foot, Muñoz came in this year fully in shape and ready to go. He spent the off-season at home in Sinaloa, Mexico, reconnecting with the trainer who had worked with him when he was a standout track and field athlete. Muñoz was looking to regain the explosiveness he had in his legs as a triple and high-jumper, focusing on building strength in his legs to match the explosive power of his right arm. Mariners personnel have raved about Muñoz’s conditioning coming into camp.

“Muni’s in a way better spot this year than he was last year early in the year,” says Scott Servais. “Even when Muni came to us he wasn’t 100%, we had to be very cautious in how much we used him. I feel way better about where he’s at physically right now.”

Muñoz is pleased with where he is, as well.

“Probably at this time last year, I don’t even have an outing yet. But I feel like I’m in a really good spot, ready to just keep going.”

One of his biggest areas of growth, he says, has been in understanding how to maximize his contributions to the team by making sure he’s on the field to contribute.

“I’ve changed a lot, especially with the injuries,” he says. “They taught me a lot about listening to my body. Before I’d just go, and even if I had something going on in my shoulder or my elbow, I’d just go out there, and now I am listening more to my body. I always say I want to give 100% when I pitch, but sometimes, you can’t, and that’s one of the things I learned. You want to be healthy as possible to go out there and do your best job.”

It also helps that he’s got a new pitch in his arsenal to pair along with his triple-digit fastball and devastating slider. Muñoz has been throwing a sinker since last season, but now he’s had some significant time with the pitch, including an off-season to refine it. He’s learned to trust the movement on the pitch rather than trying to get too fine with placing it.

“I feel like I don’t have to worry too much about it because I just want to throw it right in the middle. Sometimes it goes that way [gesturing arm side], sometimes it starts on the outside and gets on the corner—it’s going to be a really important pitch for me.”

But many of Muñoz’s other improvements have come on the mental side, specifically in adopting the team’s more flexible mindset regarding the closer role.

“One of the things I learned was I put too much attention on what inning it was, instead of just going out and attacking,” he says. “And that’s something I learned last year, I was too worried about ‘oh, it’s the ninth inning, you’re going to close the game’. But you just have to go out and attack. That’s something I learned.

It’s more pressure on it [in the ninth], but if you go out there with the same mentality to attack the hitters, it’s going to be like any other inning.”

That’s how the Mariners want their relievers thinking: with an attack mentality that’s not tied to a specific inning, but rather to “pivot points,” crucial moments in a game.

“Probably more games are lost in the sixth, seventh, eighth inning than are ever lost in the ninth,” says Servais. “If this is where the game is going to be won or lost, I want to put our best guy in at that spot.”

“Will Muni get a lot of the save opportunities? Yes. Will he be pitching against the top of the lineup in the eighth inning on the third night of the season? Yes, he could be. I think it’s really important to keep all the options open that gives your team the best chance to win that game that night, and that’s what I’m going to do. It’s not going to change.”

It’s a shift in mindset for Muñoz, who was essentially thrust into the closer role last season after the departure of Sewald. But he’s working hard to keep his focus on pitching to the batters in front of him rather than getting hung up on the number in front of the inning.

“I don’t have a preference,” he says. “I just want to go in and help the team in whatever inning they need me. They put me in the ninth, the eighth, it doesn’t matter to me. I’m just going to go in and try to get my three outs.”

His shift in mindset speaks to an overall growth in Muñoz, no longer the 21-year-old shy kid traded to Seattle but now an integral part of the clubhouse. Muñoz has transitioned from relying on a translator to speaking extemporaneously in his second language, both in more formal interviews and in casual conversation. His sly, dry sense of humor has come out more. He’s grown into his voice in the clubhouse, both in English and in Spanish, and that comfort has allowed him to assume more of a leadership role.

“I feel like the veteran here, even if I’m 25 years old. The experience I have with injuries and everything, I just try to help others like they helped me. Like when we had Paul Sewald, Drew Steckenrider, Sergio Romo, Diego Castillo, people with experience, they helped me a lot. And now I feel like it’s my time to do that. And hopefully everyone can learn a little from me.”