A kick-changeup? Mu?oz testing out new pitch 'that has the drop'

PEORIA, Ariz. -- Andrés Muñoz knew the question was coming immediately after firing a scoreless fifth inning on Sunday afternoon, and the Mariners¡¯ All-Star closer quickly -- and jokingly -- had a response ready.

¡°They didn¡¯t even swing at it!¡± Mu?oz said.

The pitch in question is the new ¡°kick-changeup¡± that Mu?oz has added this spring, which was the talk of camp during the early days when only pitchers and catchers had reported. But the right-hander has used it only limitedly in Cactus League outings, with the latest showing in the Mariners¡¯ 8-1 win over the Rockies.

Statcast data at the Peoria Sports Complex confirmed Munoz¡¯s estimate -- because it¡¯s so easy to spot. The kick-change carries a significant drop in spin rate, in the 1,100 to 1,200 RPM range, compared to his other three pitches (the two- and four-seam fastballs and the slider), which all exceed 2,000 RPM.

The big tell, though, is the vertical drop, which was between five and seven inches on Sunday, but has reached as many as 10 inches in bullpen sessions. For context, Devin Williams¡¯ ¡°airbender¡± changeup -- viewed by many as the sport¡¯s best -- had an average of 3.5 inches in vertical drop last year, and no pitcher who threw at least 100 changeups averaged more than 5.1 inches.

¡°What I like about it is that it has the drop,¡± Mu?oz said. ¡°Everything looks like it's going to the middle, not even right side or left side -- just middle and then it drops right at the last minute.¡±

And indeed, on Sunday, all of Munoz¡¯s kick-changeups were called balls by home-plate umpire Alan Porter. Mu?oz also threw two to Bobby Witt Jr. on Wednesday at Surprise Stadium, generating a foul tip, then a 107.8 mph liner that hooked just foul.

Despite the nasty look -- and the potential it has to open up an already elite arsenal -- Mu?oz said that the pitch is very much still in beta.

Its usage will depend on feel when warming up, what catcher Cal Raleigh is seeing from opposing hitters on that given day and Mu?oz continuing to harness the unique grip.

To throw the kick-change, Mu?oz holds the baseball with his right thumb and index finger forming a circle while lifting his middle finger above the ball -- hence the ¡°kick.¡± It¡¯s much different from the heaters and slider, which he uses primarily with a firm grip from his index and middle fingers.

¡°It's a really uncomfortable position to hold the ball, but ¡­ I know with time it¡¯ll start to feel more comfortable,¡± said Mu?oz, who learned the grip just before camp from one of the baseball-related accounts he follows on Instagram.

¡°It¡¯s Spring Training, so I¡¯m going to try it and see how it feels,¡± Mu?oz said. ¡°If I don't feel comfortable throwing it, I can go out with my other three pitches that I know are good pitches. So everything is based on how that feels here. But I feel a lot of confidence with that pitch.¡±

What has stood out, too, is that early conversations made it sound like the kick-change would be a weapon used mostly against lefties, but Mu?oz has had no reservations throwing it to righties in a limited Cactus sample.

Mu?oz pitched the idea of throwing a splitter, an offering that has similar, late-diving bite, but Mariners coaches preferred him not to, given the strain that pitch can have on the elbow. But Mu?oz said that the club has no reservations about him throwing the kick-change, allowing him to throw it as often as Raleigh calls it.

There¡¯s still a ways to go but also a few more opportunities for Mu?oz to keep toying with the kick-change. Yet all the while, it¡¯s become must-watch when he throws it.