Mariners Closer Andrés Muñoz Is Baseball’s Strangest 10-Blown-Save Story

One hundred miles per hour has never looked this complicated.

Sep 13, 2026; West Sacramento, California, USA; Seattle Mariners pitcher Andres Munoz (75) throws a pitch against the Athletics during the ninth inning at Sutter Health Park. Mandatory Credit: Dennis Lee-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Andrés Muñoz reached 102.1 mph while escaping the eighth inning on September 13. Three batters later, Lawrence Butler turned a 101.1-mph fastball into a walk-off homer, and sent the Mariners home with an 8-7 loss. That was Muñoz’s entire season wrapped into 14 pitches. The stuff wins. But one mistake can crush the entire afternoon. 

Muñoz came in with one out, a runner on third and a 7-6 lead to protect in the eighth. At first, he did exactly what Seattle needed. He struck out Henry Bolte, got Jeff McNeil on the first pitch and left the tying run standing at third. Then the ninth unraveled almost immediately. Zack Gelof jumped the first pitch for a single, Muñoz fell behind Lawrence Butler 3-0 and, after getting one strike back, left a fastball over the heart of the plate. Butler sent it out. Two batters into the inning, the game was over and Muñoz had blown his 10th save.

Andrés Muñoz’s Numbers Tell Two Different Stories

Looking at Muñoz’s statline, you’ll see a pitcher that has regressed. He owns a 4.25 ERA and 1.18 WHIP through 55 innings. He has converted 27 of his 37 save opportunities, and nobody in the majors has blown more saves. After allowing two home runs across 62 1/3 innings last season, he has surrendered eight in fewer innings this year.

Those numbers are usually easy to explain. Lost velo, or a drop in their strikeout rate. None of that fits Muñoz.

His 14.07 K/9 represents the best rate of his career. His overall whiff rate has climbed from 36.5 percent in 2025 to 40.6 this season. His average fastball velocity has jumped from 98.2 to 99.6 mph. He’s throwing harder and missing more bats. He’s also carrying an ERA nearly two and a half runs higher than last year. It’s an odd combination to find.

The contradiction gets even stranger when we get to the changeup. MLB.com’s Theo DeRosa noted that Muñoz used it only 3.5 percent of the time through July, then bumped that rate to 14.8 beginning in August. Hitters are 0-for-19 with 17 strikeouts in at-bats ending on the pitch, and they have missed on 24 of 29 swings against it.

The answer begins whenever hitters manage to touch the baseball. Their expected weighted on-base average on contact against Muñoz has climbed from .331 to .405. His hard-hit rate has increased to 42.5 percent, while his barrel rate has risen from 6.6 percent to 9.2.

The volume of contact is still pretty low. The quality of that contact is what’s hurting him. His slider gives it away. Hitters have batted only .172 against it, and it still generates a 49.3 percent whiff rate. Yet five of the eight home runs Muñoz has surrendered have come against that pitch. Opponents are slugging .364 against the slider after managing a .133 mark last season.

When he executes it, hitters can’t touch it. When it leaks over the plate, he’s going to need a new baseball.

The Mariners Cannot Treat 102 MPH as a Bullpen Plan

Elite stuff doesn’t close games by itself. Ten blown saves isn’t good. The Mariners trusted Muñoz with the ninth inning, and he has given away too many leads. He also can’t wear Sunday’s loss on his own.

The M’s had a 6-2 lead into the bottom of the seventh. Gabe Speier and Seranthony Domínguez helped turn it into a tie before Randy Arozarena bailed them out again. By the time Muñoz entered, the bullpen had already surrendered four runs. Still, the walk-off is on Muñoz. The bullpen in totality is a failure.

Seattle has some tough decisions to make this offseason with the bullpen. Muñoz’s $8 million club option will likely be exercised. He’s 27, throws 100 mph and remains one of baseball’s premier bat-missers. His return should come with competition and protection. Seattle needs another reliever capable of handling the ninth inning. That doesn’t mean that Muñoz loses his job. But it’s obvious that Matt Brash isn’t a trustworthy option due to health issues.

Muñoz still owns closer-quality stuff. His 2026 results have taken away any claim to closer immunity. He’ll have to earn his role as the closer going into 2027. Muñoz has become a curious case of how a pitcher can become harder to hit and easier to hurt at the same time. His stuff is still elite, his mistakes hurt more.