The Seattle Mariners have a unique situation on their hands this season as they have two pitchers competing for the same closer role. The two pitchers in question are Andres Munoz and Matt Brash. Both pitchers have had success in the minor leagues and have shown promise in their short stints in the majors.
Andres Munoz is a 22-year-old right-hander who has been in the Mariners’ organization since 2018. He has had success in the minor leagues, posting a 2.45 ERA and 1.02 WHIP in 2019. He made his major league debut last season and impressed, striking out 20 batters in 16 innings while posting a 2.25 ERA. He has a fastball that can reach triple digits and a slider that has been described as “nasty”.
Matt Brash is a 25-year-old left-hander who was acquired by the Mariners in the off-season. He has had success in the minor leagues, posting a 3.18 ERA and 1.14 WHIP in 2019. He made his major league debut last season and was solid, striking out 16 batters in 14 innings while posting a 3.21 ERA. He has a fastball that can reach the mid-90s and a curveball that has been described as “devastating”.
Both pitchers have shown promise in their short stints in the majors and have the potential to be successful closers for the Mariners. It will be interesting to see how the Mariners handle this situation as both pitchers have the potential to be successful at the major league level. It will be up to manager Scott Servais to decide which pitcher he believes will be the best fit for the team’s closer role. Whichever pitcher is chosen, it will be exciting to see how they perform in 2021.
