Just how dominant will Andres Munoz be?
Over the last two seasons, Andres Munoz has been a dominant back-end reliever for the Seattle Mariners. An All-Star in both campaigns, Munoz had 22 saves in 2024 while pitching to a 2.12 ERA. He was even better in 2025, registering 38 saves as the Mariners advanced to Game 7 of the American League Championship Series against the Toronto Blue Jays.
He posted a 1.73 ERA in 64 games, striking out 83 batters in 62.1 innings.
However, if you look under the hood, there are some things to be aware of heading into 2026, and we addressed those on the most recent 'Refuse to Lose' podcast:
Okay, exclude the playoffs: 37 appearances in the first half of the season for Andres Munoz last year. Thirty-seven appearances, 14 walks, 2 hit by pitches. Right? Thirty-seven appearances, 14 walks, 2 hit by pitches.
In the second half of the season, 27 appearances, 14 walks, 2 hit by pitches. So same amount of walks, same amount of hit by pitches, 10 less appearances in order to do it.
The batting average against: .148 in the first half, .191, I believe, in the second half. They’re both still phenomenal, but one is 40 points higher than the other.
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The second half of the season, we saw Andres Munoz again walk the tightrope more often. So, I still feel generally confident that he’ll have good overall numbers. But on a game-to-game basis, I am left wondering, okay, is this going to be a game where Andres Munoz gets himself into trouble?
Like, that’s where I’m at heading into 2026. I know that, overall, the numbers will be good, but I know that there will be a game or two where there’s a real high-wire act. And I’m kind of wondering every single time he takes the mound, is this that game?
Munoz is not the only closer who weaves himself in and out of trouble; it's actually semi-par for the course with the position. Kenley Jansen and Craig Kimbrel might both end up in the Hall of Fame, and they've done that quite a bit in their careers.
So, I still believe that Munoz is going to be successful for the Mariners, but there's a big difference between being dominant with a 1.73 ERA and being merely "very good" with an ERA of, say, 2.73 or 3.00. Which version of Munoz the Mariners get in 2026 will be a big storyline to watch as the team heads for spring training in mid-February.
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