Andrés Muñoz has been one in every of baseball’s finest 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 charge 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 last recreation 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 speed — 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 velocity 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 charge.
The 25-year-old native of Los Mochis, Mexico sat down to speak about his repertoire and method at Fenway Park earlier this yr.
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David Laurila: The final time we talked, you instructed me that you simply’re a little bit of pitching nerd. To what extent?
Andrés Muñoz: “Sure. We have now all this info, however I don’t wish to put all of it in my head. I attempt to make it easy. On the identical time, I wish to know the place to assault the hitters. The place are their weaknesses? I exploit that. Like all people, I prefer 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 purported 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 recreation mound.
Muñoz: “The coaches right here have helped me rather a lot with that. Typically 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 is advisable to carry out the best way that you simply wish to carry out… however sure, for instance, the slider. It really works higher when it goes side-to-side as a substitute of down. That’s one thing we have now to work on within the bullpen. We guarantee that issues are stepping 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: “Typically I can. Each day is totally different. Typically we really feel that we are able to’t try 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 having the ability to try 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 recreation 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. Typically 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 in a different way in 2022. For some motive, after the damage to my shoulder [in April 2023] it began to alter 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, however it’s tougher to find.”
Laurila: The one you’re throwing now’s tougher 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. Typically we expect we’re throwing it the identical, however it strikes extra and is tougher to keep up the identical location.”
Laurila: You throw your slider fairly exhausting…
Muñoz: “I attempt to throw it as exhausting 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 following pitch I attempt to throw it tougher to remind me that… after I throw within the bullpen earlier than the sport, I attempt to throw as exhausting 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 exhausting 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 will have a two-seamer as effectively. 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 recreation; I simply did it as a result of they instructed me that it will assist me a bit bit with my four-seam. Understanding the distinction between the two-seam and the fastball… you’re making an attempt to throw it on the identical spot, however the ball strikes in a different way. 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 experience in your four-seam?
Muñoz: “No, I don’t. It’s extra due to the velocity that it appears like I’ve experience 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 exploit it for groundballs.”
Laurila: Have you ever ever had a curveball or a changeup?
Muñoz: “No. I’ve tried a curveball, however it by no means labored for me. I attempted to make use of a cutter too, however 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 instructed 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, however 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 one of the best that I can. The offseason is a time to work on issues, so perhaps someday. 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 making an attempt 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 last ideas on pitching?
Muñoz: “My mentality is to assault all people. I’m going to go as exhausting as I can. If I face one of the best hitter on the workforce. after which the following man comes up, I’m going to do the identical factor. Everyone right here is sweet, so you’ll be able to’t go simpler on anybody as a result of they aren’t one of the best. It’s important to 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 exhausting as I can, and I’m throwing one of the best pitches that I can. Typically I’m going to fail, however I’m at all times going to attempt to do my finest.”
