Andres Munoz deservedly named AL reliever of the month for April

Andres Munoz continues to make his case as the best closer in baseball, by winning the second monthly award of his major league career.

The Seattle Mariners received some positive news ahead of their weekend series against the Texas Rangers, with Andres Munoz being named American League Reliever of the Month for March/April. There really was no other choice after his truly stunning start to the 2025 MLB season.

Muñoz has yet to give up a single run through 15 appearances for the Mariners, resulting in him going 11-for-11 in save opportunities and leading the AL in this category. Overall he has recorded a 0.00 ERA, 1.73 FIP, 0.733 WHIP and 19 strikeouts in 15 combined innings.

The 2024 All-Star has also produced a 1.6 WAR to date, which is first among all major league relievers at the time of writing. To provide even more context, he is fast closing in on his career-best 2.0 WAR which he achieved just last season.

This is the second time Muñoz has received the monthly award, following on from August of 2023. He is also only the second Mariners pitcher to take home the accolade, with Edwin Díaz winning it five times between July 2017 and August 2018.

Andres Munoz is thankful

The 26-year-old spoke to the media prior to Friday’s series opener versus the Rangers, about how grateful he was to win the award. He said:

“All the sacrificing that you do, all the effort you put every day, all the times that you are not 100 percent and you continue (giving) your 100 percent that you have that day. It’s really exciting to have that (honor) and I am really thankful for that.”

Muñoz knows he’s in a zone at the moment, but he also acknowledges he has to keep working hard and not take anything for granted. He said:

“I am feeling great right now. Obviously we have to keep working every day. For me, I have to maintain this and have to keep doing the work that I have to do, keep doing the little things. Maybe you don’t see it that much, but it’s really important during the game.”

The Mariners are of course grateful to have the righty on their team, with manager Dan Wilson giving him his due credit. Wilson said:

“He’s just continued to learn and settle in. It’s been a really good spot and I think he’s getting more and more comfortable. We’ve been in positions I think because of the offense to be in that ahead in the ninth kind of spot and when he’s gone out there, he’s been lights-out.”

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The best closer in baseball at least

The Mariners first acquired Muñoz from the San Diego Padres as part of a multi-player trade back in August 2020, and he hasn’t looked back since. He is now at the point where he’s not only probably the best closer in the game, but also arguably the top reliever full stop.

The Mariners bullpen is not without concern, whether it be key absences through injury or just pitchers not playing up to their potential. The one spot Wilson and the team don’t have to worry about though, is closing out tight situations thanks to Muñoz.

About the only thing which might concern people with the Mexico native is his injury history, which included dealing with an ongoing back issue during last year. He’s taking all necessary precautions though and said:

“I’m feeling better. The back is better, the ankle is good. I think (through) the years, I’ve been (learning) a little little bit more about me, knowing what I need to do to get ready to go there and perform the best that I can.”

Photos court​‌esy  of Tim Rodgers Photography

What has impressed you most about Andres Munoz so far this season? Where do you rank him among MLB closers or indeed relievers in general? Let us know in the comments section below.