Andrés Muñoz Dominates MLB Yet Faces Salary Paradox

SEATTLE, Washington — Andrés Muñoz, a top closer in Major League Baseball, is making headlines this season with his exceptional performance. With a blazing fastball reaching 102 mph and a surgical slider, he leads the American League with 13 saves and boasts a remarkable 0.00 ERA over 18 innings, during which he has struck out 25 batters.

Despite these impressive numbers, Muñoz’s salary for 2025 stands at $3.4 million, ranking as the second lowest among the top ten closers this season. Only Mason Miller of the Oakland Athletics, earning the minimum salary of $765,000, ranks lower.

The salary discrepancy becomes more evident when comparing Muñoz to fellow closer Edwin Díaz of the New York Mets, who commands the largest contract for a reliever in MLB history at $102 million over five years. Díaz, however, is not among the top save leaders this season and is set to earn $18.3 million in 2025.

Houston Astros‘ Josh Hader, benefiting from a deferred payment agreement with Díaz, sits as the highest-paid reliever this season at $19 million while managing six saves, tied for sixth among closers.

Furthermore, high-salaried closers like Raisel Iglesias of the Atlanta Braves ($16 million), Ryan Pressly of the Chicago Cubs ($14 million), Kirby Yates of the Los Angeles Dodgers ($13 million), and Aroldis Chapman of the Boston Red Sox ($10 million) have not performed at the level expected this season.

Muñoz, who faced a significant setback in 2020 with Tommy John surgery, was traded to the Seattle Mariners and signed a four-year extension worth $7.5 million, including a signing bonus of $750,000. At just 22, the extension provided financial stability amid uncertainty.

Now a leading candidate for the Trevor Hoffman Award as the year’s best reliever, Muñoz’s current performance starkly contrasts with his modest earnings, illustrating the unpredictable nature of professional sports contracts and player valuation.