Andrés Muñoz Bio
Andrés Clemente Muñoz Apodaca is a Mexican professional baseball pitcher born on January 16, 1999. He plays for the Seattle Mariners in Major League Baseball (MLB) and serves as a key member of the team’s bullpen. Muñoz made his MLB debut in 2019 with the San Diego Padres before being traded to Seattle. He has been recognized as an All-Star in 2024 and 2025, and earned All-MLB Second Team honors in 2025.
Known for one of the most electric fastballs in the league, Muñoz has built a reputation as a high-leverage reliever and closer. His work has also been honored with multiple American League Reliever of the Month awards, including honors in 2023 and 2025.
Early Life and Background
Andrés Clemente Muñoz Apodaca was raised in Mexico by his parents, Alberto and Maria, in a family that encouraged athletic competition. He has two older brothers, including Helmond, who later played a quiet role in his professional career by providing scouting reports on opposing hitters. Muñoz also has a second older brother, Miguel.
Muñoz was introduced to baseball at the age of 11 by his grandfather, Damazo, whose influence helped spark his interest in pitching. As a teenager, he met his future wife, Wendy, while both were competing in track and field, a background that helped shape his discipline and athleticism on the mound.
Path to Professional Baseball
Muñoz signed with the San Diego Padres as an international free agent on July 7, 2015, receiving a $700,000 signing bonus. He made his professional debut in 2016 with the Arizona Padres of the Rookie-level Arizona League, going 1–1 with a 5.49 ERA in 16 relief appearances while learning the demands of pro baseball.
In 2017, he moved up to the Tri-City Dust Devils of the Class A Short Season Northwest League and finished the year with the Fort Wayne TinCaps of the Class A Midwest League, posting a 3–0 record with a 3.81 ERA in 24 relief outings. After the season, he appeared in the Arizona Fall League as the league’s youngest player. In 2018, he split time between Tri-City and the Double-A San Antonio Missions, where he was 2–1 with a 0.73 ERA in limited innings.
Andrés Muñoz Career
Early Career (2016–2018)
Muñoz’s earliest professional seasons were spent adjusting to a full workload while climbing the Padres’ minor league system. His 2018 promotion to the San Antonio Missions of the Double-A Texas League marked his first taste of advanced competition, and his strikeout totals showed the kind of swing-and-miss stuff that would later define his big-league role.
Working mostly in relief, he flashed the fastball velocity that has since become his trademark. By the end of 2018, he had positioned himself as a legitimate bullpen prospect within the San Diego organization.
San Diego Padres Era (2019)
Muñoz began 2019 in the Texas League with the Amarillo Sod Poodles, where he was 0–2 with a 2.16 ERA and 34 strikeouts in limited innings. He was promoted to the El Paso Chihuahuas of the Triple-A Pacific Coast League on May 21, 2019, and the Padres selected his contract on July 12, 2019.
He made his major league debut that night against the Atlanta Braves, striking out one batter in a single inning of work, with his fastball topping out at 101.9 miles per hour. He earned his first MLB save on August 29, 2019, in a win over the San Francisco Giants. In 2019, his four-seam fastball averaged 99.9 miles per hour, the second fastest in MLB. He finished his rookie year 1–1 in 22 games with 30 strikeouts in 23 innings. On March 19, 2020, Muñoz underwent Tommy John surgery, causing him to miss the entire 2020 season.
Seattle Mariners Era (2021–Present)
On August 30, 2020, the Padres traded Muñoz, Ty France, Taylor Trammell, and Luis Torrens to the Seattle Mariners for Austin Nola, Dan Altavilla, and Austin Adams. He returned from injury late in 2021, and on December 1, 2021, he and the Mariners agreed to a four-year, $7.5 million contract extension that included additional team options.
In 2022, Muñoz worked in a setup role, finishing 2–5 with a 2.45 ERA and 96 strikeouts in 65 innings, and he was a key piece of the Mariners’ first postseason run in years, including earning the series-clinching win in the 2022 Wild Card Series against the Toronto Blue Jays.
Injuries slowed him early in 2023, but after the Mariners traded Paul Sewald at the trade deadline, Muñoz stepped into the closer role. He responded by earning the American League Reliever of the Month award for August 2023 and finishing 4–7 with 67 strikeouts in 49 innings. In 2024, he was named to the All-Star Game as a replacement, set a franchise record with 12 consecutive hitless appearances, and posted a career-high 22 saves with a 2.12 ERA. He opened 2025 with 15 straight scoreless appearances and 11 saves, was named the American League Reliever of the Month for March/April 2025, and was selected to the 2025 All-Star Game roster.
Driving Style and Strengths
Muñoz’s game is built around a triple-digit fastball, which has consistently ranked among the hardest in MLB. His slider has emerged as his most devastating off-speed pitch, holding opposing batters to a .126 average. Improved command has also reduced the walk rate that troubled him in the minors, allowing him to thrive in high-leverage spots.
Notable Events and Milestones
His MLB debut against the Atlanta Braves in 2019, in which his fastball reached 101.9 miles per hour, announced his arrival as one of the league’s most electric arms. Earning the series-clinching win in the 2022 Wild Card Series and setting a franchise record with 12 straight hitless appearances in 2024 further cemented his place in Mariners history.
Andrés Muñoz Career Wins and Honors
Across his MLB career, Muñoz has built a résumé defined by elite strikeout numbers, late-inning reliability, and a series of league-wide honors. He has been a multi-time All-Star and a multi-time American League Reliever of the Month recipient, reflecting his standing among the top relievers in the game.
Major League Highlights
Muñoz has earned All-Star selections in both 2024 and 2025, and he was named to the All-MLB Second Team in 2025. He took home American League Reliever of the Month honors in August 2023 and again in March/April 2025. He recorded a career-high 22 saves in 2024, and he has served as the primary closer for the Seattle Mariners since the middle of the 2023 season.
Other Performances
Before reaching the majors, Muñoz was a standout in the Padres’ minor league system, posting a sub-1.00 ERA across two levels in 2018. He also gained valuable experience in the Arizona Fall League, where he was the youngest player in the league after the 2017 season.
Andrés Muñoz Family
Family Background and Personal Life
Muñoz was raised by his parents, Alberto and Maria, and has two older brothers, Helmond and Miguel. His grandfather, Damazo, introduced him to baseball at the age of 11, an experience that helped launch his career on the mound. Helmond, along with Muñoz’s wife Wendy, has helped supply scouting reports on opposing hitters.
Personal Life
Muñoz married his wife, Wendy, in July 2022 during the All-Star break. The couple first met as teenagers while competing in track and field, and they travel together with their pet cat, Matilda.
2025 Season Performance
Muñoz’s 2025 season has reinforced his role as the anchor of the Seattle Mariners’ bullpen. He opened the year with 15 straight scoreless appearances, converting 11 saves during that stretch, and was named the American League Reliever of the Month for March/April. His fastball velocity and slider command have continued to produce swings and misses at an elite rate.
His strong first half was rewarded with a selection to the 2025 All-Star Game roster, his second consecutive Midsummer Classic nod. He was also named to the All-MLB Second Team in 2025, recognition that highlighted his consistency and impact in the highest-leverage spots of the Mariners’ season.
With the Mariners competing in the American League playoff picture, Muñoz remains the trusted late-inning option, and his contract, signed in 2021, runs through the 2025 season. His continued dominance gives Seattle a clear foundation in the back end of its bullpen heading toward the postseason.