Andrés Muñoz is leaning harder on his changeup this season, a small adjustment that could carry real weight for the Mariners as they try to steady their late-inning picture. The Seattle closer, who struggled against left-handed hitters earlier in the year and took three losses, is using the pitch more often while trying to keep hitters off-balance.
Muñoz has posted a 1.69 ERA since April 24, a stretch that points to a sharper version of the power arm Seattle depends on at the back end of games. He has also picked up four strikeouts on changeups, a sign that the pitch is becoming part of a broader plan rather than a show-me offering.
For Muñoz, the change is about more than one pitch. He is trying to rebuild trust in his full arsenal after a rocky start and widen the ways he can attack hitters. That matters because the Mariners need their closer to be more than overpowering; they need him to be adaptable when left-handed batters force him into uncomfortable counts.
The adjustment fits the moment for Seattle. A dependable closer can change how a team protects leads, and Muñoz’s recent run suggests he is moving back toward that kind of reliability. If the changeup keeps landing and lefties keep getting less comfortable, his role could settle into the kind of consistency the Mariners have been looking for.
