Drayer: Mariners camp is buzzing about an Andrés Muñoz pitch

Feb 22, 2025, 10:38 PM | Updated: Feb 23, 2025, 6:57 pm

Mariners Insider, Seattle Sports

PEORIA, Ariz. – Did we just witness the birth of a new Muñoz monster pitch?

In his bullpen session at Seattle Mariners spring training, Andrés Muñoz did something we have not seen him do before. Towards the end of his pitch count, the hard-throwing right-hander alerted his coaches and catcher Cal Raleigh what he was going to do: throw a changeup.

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It was a pitch that Raleigh had to adjust to catch as it seemed destined for his foot, and it immediately had coaches, players and front office members on hand abuzz. It even left fellow reliever Matt Brash just staring at the data screen above the mound.

“That was the best pitch I have ever seen,” Brash said as he walked past seconds later.

Shortly after, pitching coach Pete Woodworth echoed the same words, and threw in, “He just did that. I’ve never seen that before.”

Second pitch in is the Munoz change. He cautioned after he’s only thrown it once, doesn’t know where he is going with the pitch but man, the reaction. We shall see! pic.twitter.com/xd25LeSk74

— Shannon Drayer (@shannondrayer) February 22, 2025

With Logan Gilbert, George Kirby and others on the Mariners’ pitching staff who have the ability to quickly learn and take new pitches into games, Woodworth being impressed with what Muñoz had just done is notable. For his part, the 26-year-old Muñoz was surprised to see that the reporters on hand had tracked him down to Field 1 to talk to him after a bullpen session.

“Something new to try,” Muñoz said. “That’s it.”

Muñoz, who played with the pitch in two flat-ground sessions before taking it onto the bullpen mound, said it was in his previous bullpen session that he came up with the idea. He found that he was getting ahead and to two strikes in the count easily enough, but was then struggling to find the third strike.

“That is where I came up with the idea and that thing came up random,” he said of the pitch. “I saw a video. I threw it one time. It’s just like something else that I would like to have in case I need it, and that is why I am working every day to get better and better every time.”

Muñoz doesn’t remember exactly what video he saw, only that he found it scrolling through Instagram and thought why not try if it was OK with his coaches.

“Obviously I have a really good relationship with them,” he said. “I am really honest in what I do. If I do something new, they are the first guys I let know just to make sure I am not doing something incorrect.”

So Muñoz was given the blessing to try the pitch off the mound, and what came next surprised even him.

“I just saw that thing drop,” he said.

Drop it did, a total of 10 inches according to the Trackman data.

“I don’t understand that,” Muñoz said of the movement.

The “best pitch ever” talk was no doubt in the moment, but the ridiculous 10 inches of vertical drop is something. Muñoz was quick to acknowledge that it was just one pitch, however.

“The thing too is it’s the first time that I threw that pitch,” he said. “I don’t know how it’s going to be tomorrow, don’t know how it is going to be the next day. Maybe something that I used today and was good for one day and then I struggle a little bit on getting it again. But it’s good to try different things.”

Munoz good grief. pic.twitter.com/Pwlr7OIpiu

— Shannon Drayer (@shannondrayer) February 22, 2025

Learn from the best

Muñoz will continue to work on the changeup, which he throws with the circle grip and a little bit of a kick from the middle finger. The grip was learned from the Instagram video, while he credits a teammate who he was seen talking with after the bullpen session with further counsel on the pitch.

“One man who is really helping me a lot is Luis (Castillo),” he said. “He has one of the best changeups in the game, so I have to listen to the best on changeups.”

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The relationship goes beyond help with a pitch. After a winter that saw various trade rumors involving Castillo, Muñoz is overjoyed to see the veteran still with team.

“He’s a really good friend of mine,” Muñoz said after letting out a big sigh when asked the question. “Obviously I understand that this is a business, but I was happy when I saw that he was here for the camp, and I just want to be with him all the time because I am learning every day with him, so I wish he can stay with us a lot.”

Muñoz said he sees Castillo’s presence having an impact on the entire clubhouse.

“You see him like on another level,” he said. “You see him as an example for everybody. Just the way that he talks to us, really relaxed, really happy all the time. That gives good energy to all of the team, so I feel like he is really special for us.”

Time will tell if the pitch that was witnessed becomes a real weapon for Muñoz. Regardless, Muñoz provided a great spring training moment Saturday morning in Peoria.