Andrés Muñoz DVOA, Advanced Stats, & Fantasy Rankings

Seattle Mariners relief pitcher Andres Munoz is working on a changeup. During his recent bullpen session on Saturday, Munoz showed off a changeup that had a 10-inch vertical drop. Munoz relies heavily on a slider and four-seamer and occasionally mixes in a sinker. Last season, the right-hander held a 2.12 ERA with a 0.96 WHIP across 59 1/3 innings of work. He tallied strikeouts at an elite 33.2% percent rate. He also generated a strong .198 xBA and a 54.0 percent ground-ball rate, both well above the average marks and placed him in the 98th and 92nd percentile, respectively. If Munoz can develop this changeup, he could become an even better pitcher with an even higher strikeout upside. Fantasy managers should view Munoz as a high-end option for saves and strikeouts in all formats.

Seattle Mariners closer Andres Munoz (elbow) said he has been dealing with some elbow soreness recently and that he was only going to be used with a lead for the first two games of the series in Oakland against the division-rival A's. Munoz has downplayed the severity of his injury, though, and said he should be fine. He hasn't pitched since Aug. 31, when he allowed a solo home run in two-thirds of an inning for a loss. But since blowing a save on Aug. 20 with a three-run outing, Munoz has settled down by allowing just the solo home run while striking out eight and walking two in 3 2/3 frames in his last four outings. The 25-year-old's status is worth watching going forward, and if his elbow soreness worsens, Austin Voth or Collin Snider could be in line for some save opportunities down the stretch in the final month of the regular season. Munoz has been excellent with a 1.92 ERA and a career-high 19 saves this year.

Seattle Mariners relief pitcher Andres Munoz was called upon to tally a four-out save on Saturday evening. Munoz hit the first batter he faced and then threw a wild pitch, which caused a runner to score (unearned), but he proceeded to get out of the eighth by striking out the next batter to limit the damage. In the ninth inning, the 25-year-old struck out the first batter, Gavin Sheets, and then generated two groundouts to finish the job. This was his 17th save on the season and brought him to a stellar 1.31 ERA and 0.97 WHIP. Munoz should be considered a top relief pitcher in all formats and could tally the occasional hold, as he is the most trusted option out of the Seattle bullpen.