Andrés Muñoz’s changeup has been untouchable

Andrés Muñoz’s new pitch was the talk of spring training back in 2025.

The Seattle Mariners’ flamethrowing right-hander started experimenting with a kick change-up that, with up to 10 inches of vertical drop, turned heads in Peoria, Ariz.

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Fellow reliever Matt Brash, who is known for have some nasty pitches in his own repertoire, called it the “best pitch I have ever seen.”

But for all the hype that surrounded Muñoz’s new pitch, it didn’t end up being much a factor a year ago. He threw it just 22 times with a 2.1% usage rate over 64 regular-season appearances.

In recent weeks, however, the changeup has become a much more prevalent offering from the 27-year-old closer. This version of the pitch isn’t the kick changeup – it’s more of a traditional changeup grip – but the results have been as good as anyone could have hoped for.

The pitch has literally been untouchable.

Muñoz has generated an absurd 100% whiff rate on his changeup this season. All 13 at-bats ending on the pitch have produced strikeouts.

Tuesday night’s save against the Red Sox provided an excellent example of how Muñoz can use the changeup to his advantage. With the lefty bat of Wilyer Abreu up at the plate, Muñoz threw a high fastball for a swinging strike and followed it with two changeups that Abreu swung over for a three-pitch strikeout. It was the second straight night Muñoz set down Abreu swinging on the pitch.

A way to get lefties out

The changeup wasn’t a pitch Muñoz used much early this season, but it’s one he’s turned to quite bit more often over the past month.

Of the 48 changeups thrown by Muñoz this season, 47 have been thrown to left-handers, and 25 have come in 12 outings since Aug. 1. He threw 23 in his previous 41 appearances.

It’s resulted in a big improvement against left-handed batters in a small sample.

Prior to Aug. 1, lefties were hitting .241 with a .759 OPS against the Seattle’s two-time All-Star closer. In the 12 games since, they’re batting .160 with a .462 OPS. Muñoz’s 15 strikeouts against left-handed batters since the start of August is also the second most among MLB relievers.

A nasty pitch

Muñoz’s changeup averages 92.7 mph, a 7 mph drop from his four-seam fastball average. It also averages 5.6 inches more induced vertical break than comparable changeups (those thrown within 2 mph and with a release point within 0.5 feet), per Baseball Savant.

According to FanGraphs, Muñoz’s changeup has a stuff+ grade of 121 (100 is average). It’s tied for the fifth-best mark among changeups thrown by MLB relievers and gives him two of the nastiest pitches in baseball to turn to when paired up with his slider, which is tied for the ninth-best grade among relievers at 130.

In total, batters are hitting a combined .144 (17 for 118) with 62 strikeouts against his changeup and slider.

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