Andres Munoz

Munoz broke out in 2022 and carried that momentum into last season by recording Seattle's first save of 2023. Unfortunately, any hopes of him taking on more expansive closing duties were put on hold, as the right-hander suffered a shoulder sprain after just a few appearances. Munoz missed two months of action and was limited to setup duties upon his return with Paul Sewald locking down the 9th inning. When Sewald was traded, Munoz finally got some run as the M's closer. He recorded 11 of Seattle's 18 saves after the trade and finished the year with a career-high 13 overall. His strikeout and walk rates regressed a bit, but he maintained a 99th percentile whiff percentage (39.4%) and his groundball rate (59%) spiked since he implemented a sinker (19% pitch usage). Munoz enters 2024 as the favorite for closing duties in Seattle, but don't expect 70+ percent team save share. Munoz's health, plus the emergence of Matt Brash and Justin Topa, make a 50-60% share more realistic. Read Past Outlooks