Five days. Two milestones. One 27-year-old from Sinaloa writing his name into Seattle’s record books.
On August 16, facing the Houston Astros at Daikin Park, Andrés Muñoz protected a one-run lead in a 3-2 Mariners win for his 22nd save of the season — and career save No. 100. That number made him the third Mexican closer in MLB history to reach the mark, behind only Joakim Soria (229) and Roberto Osuna (155), and just ahead of Aurelio ‘Señor Smoke’ López, who retired with 93.
Three nights later in Milwaukee, the second piece fell into place. On August 19, Muñoz retired the Brewers‘ 2-3-4 hitters in order in the ninth inning to close out a 7-5 Seattle win — save No. 23 on the season and, more importantly, save No. 100 in a Mariners uniform. Only one of his 101 career saves came elsewhere (San Diego, where he debuted in 2019). That made Muñoz the fourth player in franchise history to reach 100 saves as a Mariner, joining Kazuhiro Sasaki (129), Edwin Díaz (109) and J.J. Putz (101).
Two Milestones, Two Different Nights — Here’s Why It Matters
Social media mixed the two dates together, so it’s worth keeping them straight. The career saves milestone happened August 16 against Houston. The franchise milestone happened August 19 against Milwaukee. They’re separate achievements, and both are real.
The context of the Milwaukee night adds extra flavor. The day before, the Brewers had demolished Seattle 22-0 — the most lopsided loss in modern baseball history. A clean 7-5 win with Muñoz slamming the door was the Mariners’ answer. Seattle had now won three of their last four and remained alive in the AL West race.
The 2026 Numbers and What’s Coming
This season hasn’t been the Muñoz of 2025, when he posted a 1.73 ERA, 38 saves and 83 strikeouts in 62.1 innings with a 1.03 WHIP. In 2026 he carries a 4.27 ERA, a 1.21 WHIP, seven blown saves and 73 strikeouts in 46.1 innings — a strikeouts-per-nine rate that still ranks among the best, even if the inconsistency has kept him from that near-perfect version of himself.
Still, the trend is moving in the right direction. Since the All-Star break, Muñoz has allowed zero runs in nine of his last 12 appearances. And on the night of the career milestone — August 16 against Houston — he averaged 101.1 mph on his fastball, 1.5 mph above his season average. The stuff is still there; the issue has been command of the zone.
At 23 saves in 30 opportunities, he remains Seattle’s unquestioned closer. And for anyone tracking the Mexican saves leaderboard: Muñoz sits 55 saves behind Osuna and 129 behind Soria. With a contract in Seattle and his 27th birthday already in the rearview mirror, the trajectory is clear.
Where Muñoz Stands in Mariners History
Being on the same list as Sasaki, Díaz and Putz is not a small thing. Sasaki averaged over 30 saves a season during his Seattle peak. Díaz was the most dominant closer of his generation before leaving for the Mets. Putz posted a 1.38 ERA in 2007 that Mariners fans still talk about.
Muñoz has only six full big-league seasons under his belt and he’s already in that company. He’s not being called the fourth-best closer in franchise history — different eras make that comparison unfair — but he is the fourth to reach 100 saves in a Mariners uniform, and at 27, that number is far from finished.
The question Seattle fans are sitting with: does the most consistent version of Muñoz show up in September, when every win counts?
