March 5, 2025 11:28 PM : Munoz hurled a scoreless inning in Wednesday's Cactus League game against the Royals, giving up one hit while striking out two.
Analysis: Munoz appeared to be sharper Wednesday, considering he surrendered one run on two hits during his first appearance earlier this spring. The hard-throwing right-hander was a first-time All-Star in 2024 while operating as Seattle's primary closer, and the Mariners solidified his status this past offseason by letting Yimi Garcia go and not making any noteworthy additions to the bullpen. Munoz has dominant stuff, as evidenced by his 33.2 percent strikeout rate a year ago, but he may need to improve a bit on his 11.2 percent walk rate to avoid having his job security threatened atop the bullpen pecking order.