Andrés Muñoz delivered the finest season of his career in 2025, converting 38 saves while thriving under new Mariners manager Dan Wilson, whose bullpen structure featured a clearly defined closer role. That managerial shift played a major part in Muñoz securing an 88.4% team save share, the second-highest mark among qualified closers.
After dealing with nagging injuries earlier in his career, the 27-year-old completed his second consecutive healthy campaign and earned All-Star recognition for the second straight season, reinforcing his standing as one of the premier late-inning arms in baseball.
Muñoz paired his elevated save total with a 1.73 ERA, the fourth-best figure among qualified relievers, and finished the year with an 83:28 strikeout-to-walk ratio (K/BB) across 62 1/3 innings.
While the walk rate still introduces occasional volatility, his ability to suppress scoring consistently kept those free passes from turning into major damage. Entering 2026, he is frequently the first closer selected in early drafts, underscoring the confidence fantasy managers have in his role security and elite arsenal.
What to Expect from Andrés Muñoz in 2026 Fantasy Baseball
The foundation of Muñoz’s dominance is a devastating slider that remains one of the most unhittable pitches in the sport. Opposing hitters managed just a .109 batting average against it, the second-best mark in the league for that pitch type behind Mason Miller’s .108.
The pitch generated a 51% whiff rate, also second in baseball, and accounted for 60 of his 83 strikeouts. That swing-and-miss weapon allows Muñoz to escape high-leverage situations and maintain strong run prevention even when command briefly wavers.
From a strengths perspective, Muñoz offers rare bat-missing ability, firm control of the ninth inning, and a track record of health that has grown increasingly encouraging. His weaknesses center primarily on command inconsistency, as the walks can elevate pitch counts and occasionally shorten his outings.
However, his strikeout capacity and ability to limit quality contact typically neutralize those concerns in points formats, where saves and strikeouts carry significant weight.
Looking ahead to 2026, Muñoz projects to remain among the league leaders in saves, with another season comfortably above the 30-save threshold well within reach and legitimate upside for more if Seattle continues to generate close-game opportunities.
His ratios should remain strong given the quality of his slider and overall stuff, and his established role minimizes weekly volatility. In fantasy baseball points leagues, that combination of stability and dominance places him firmly among the elite relief options.
As far as the relief pitcher hierarchy for fantasy baseball points leagues, I rank him at Tier 1, only behind Edwin Díaz, Mason Miller, and Jhoan Duran.
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