Andrés Muñoz has been one among baseball’s greatest relievers over the previous three seasons. Throughout that span, the Seattle Mariners right-hander has a 2.49 ERA, a 2.68 FIP, and a 34.7% strikeout price over 176 video games, comprising 173 1/3 innings. Acquired from the San Diego Padres as a part of a seven-player commerce in August 2020, Muñoz missed everything of that yr and all however the ultimate sport of the 2021 season recovering from Tommy John surgical procedure. He posted a 2.12 ERA and 22 saves within the just-completed marketing campaign, each profession bests.
Muñoz’s M.O. on the mound is energy. Per Statcast, his four-seamer averaged 98.4 mph this season, whereas his two-seamer averaged 97.5 mph and his slider 87.6 mph. The rate — however not his general effectiveness — was truly down from the earlier two years. In 2023, Muñoz’s four-seamer averaged 99.2 mph, and in 2022 it averaged 100.2 mph. His slider is his most-thrown pitch, and its pace has additionally ticked down a tad, though to not his detriment. With a caveat that his slider wasn’t at all times sharp this season, it elicited a .138 BAA, a .191 wOBA, and a 48.5% whiff price.
The 25-year-old native of Los Mochis, Mexico sat down to speak about his repertoire and strategy at Fenway Park earlier this yr.
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David Laurila: The final time we talked, you informed me that you simply’re a little bit of pitching nerd. To what extent?
Andrés Muñoz: “Sure. We’ve got all this info, however I don’t need to put all of it in my head. I attempt to make it easy. On the identical time, I need to know the place to assault the hitters. The place are their weaknesses? I take advantage of that. Like everyone, I wish to have the knowledge, however by the point I’m on the mound, I’m not fascinated by all the knowledge. I’m considering extra about, ‘OK, the place am I imagined to throw the pitch?’ I really feel like that’s the smartest thing for me, to have a plan for each hitter.”
Laurila: What about your pitch profiles and how one can optimize them? I assume you take note of that whenever you’re not on a sport mound.
Muñoz: “The coaches right here have helped me rather a lot with that. Generally you don’t know issues. We’re clearly not good; we fail typically. I really feel just like the extra that we observe, the extra that we’re within the bullpen throwing and repeating the issues that offer you that muscle reminiscence it’s essential carry out the best way that you simply need to carry out… however sure, for instance, the slider. It really works higher when it goes side-to-side as an alternative of down. That’s one thing we’ve got to work on within the bullpen. We ensure that issues are entering into the best way that you really want.”
Laurila: Are you able to manipulate your slider in order that it will get both extra depth or extra side-to-side motion?
Muñoz: “Generally I can. Daily is totally different. Generally we really feel that we will’t do this, however the extra you observe the better it’s to go there and make it transfer [to the] aspect, or make it transfer down.”
Laurila: When did you begin with the ability to do this?
Muñoz: “In all probability this yr. Earlier than it was extra down. I didn’t even take into consideration the motion. However once more, after I’m within the sport I don’t take into consideration something. I’m simply throwing my pitches. However my unconscious, in a single a part of my thoughts, I already know what to do. Generally issues simply don’t work such as you need them to.”
Laurila: Have you ever modified the best way you throw your slider?
Muñoz: “Sure. I modified the grip. I threw it otherwise in 2022. For some motive, after the damage to my shoulder [in April 2023] it began to vary a bit bit. I wasn’t in a position to find the slider that good. So we modified the grip. There may be extra in that one, nevertheless it’s more durable to find.”
Laurila: The one you’re throwing now could be more durable to find?
Muñoz: “Sure, as a result of it strikes extra. That’s the reason typically you see me miss an excessive amount of with the slider. It strikes rather a lot. Generally we expect we’re throwing it the identical, nevertheless it strikes extra and is more durable to take care of the identical location.”
Laurila: You throw your slider fairly arduous…
Muñoz: “I attempt to throw it as arduous as I can. I really feel like that has been working for me. I don’t like to scale back depth on my pitches. Once I don’t get forward within the depend, on the subsequent pitch I attempt to throw it more durable to remind me that… after I throw within the bullpen earlier than the sport, I attempt to throw as arduous as I can, simply to get that very same feeling. That means it doesn’t shock me, like, ‘Oh, I used to be simply warming up and never throwing as arduous as I can’ after which I am going to the sport and it’s one other depth.”
Laurila: What was your repertoire whenever you first got here to professional ball?
Muñoz: “[Four-seam] fastballs and sliders.”
Laurila: Now you might have a two-seamer as properly. When did you begin throwing that?
Muñoz: “I began to observe the two-seam on the finish of 2022. I didn’t do it as a result of I wished to throw it within the sport; I simply did it as a result of they informed me that it might assist me a bit bit with my four-seam. Understanding the distinction between the two-seam and the fastball… you’re attempting to throw it on the identical spot, however the ball strikes otherwise. In 2023 was the primary time that I began throwing it in video games. It labored good, and this yr I got here in with these three pitches.”
Laurila: Do you get a lot trip in your four-seam?
Muñoz: “No, I don’t. It’s extra due to the pace that it appears to be like like I’ve trip on it. After which the two-seam will get a bit little bit of sink. It goes precisely like a fastball after which drops on the final second. That’s what will get me groundballs. I don’t use the two-seam to strike guys out; I take advantage of it for groundballs.”
Laurila: Have you ever ever had a curveball or a changeup?
Muñoz: “No. I’ve tried a curveball, nevertheless it by no means labored for me. I attempted to make use of a cutter too, nevertheless it goes extra like a slider for me. I’ve by no means actually tried a changeup.”
Laurila: Not even within the minors?
Muñoz: “I threw a changeup one time after I was with San Diego. They informed me to throw it like a fastball, so I gripped it like a changeup, threw it, and it went 96. That isn’t a changeup. Perhaps it’s one thing about my mechanics or the best way that I throw the ball, nevertheless it didn’t work for me.”
Laurila: The reliever for the Twins throws a splitter within the high-90s…
Muñoz: “Sure. Jhoan Duran. They name it a ‘splinker.’ Hopefully I can study one thing like that sooner or later, however proper now I’m simply concentrating on making my pitches the perfect that I can. The offseason is a time to work on issues, so perhaps in the future. That was my mentality after I tried throwing a cutter in observe, however after two weeks I made a decision it didn’t work.”
Laurila: Circling again to your shoulder damage, did your arm slot change in any respect?
Muñoz: “Sure. My arm slot began to get extra down. That was why I began to throw extra two-seams. For some motive the two-seam works higher when your arm is a bit bit down. However proper now I’m simply attempting to make it easy.. I don’t take into consideration mechanics. I don’t take into consideration something. I simply attempt to be athletic.”
Laurila: Any ultimate ideas on pitching?
Muñoz: “My mentality is to assault everyone. I’m going to go as arduous as I can. If I face the perfect hitter on the workforce. after which the subsequent man comes up, I’m going to do the identical factor. All people right here is sweet, so you may’t go simpler on anybody as a result of they aren’t the perfect. You must be the identical man on the market and assault each hitter with the identical mentality. Even when it’s not the ninth inning after I’m on the market, if I’m pitching, I’m throwing as arduous as I can, and I’m throwing the perfect pitches that I can. Generally I’m going to fail, however I’m at all times going to attempt to do my greatest.”