Once given an ultimatum, Andrés Muñoz is now the next great Mexican MLB pitcher

Andrés Muñoz was just 14 years old when he was given an adult's decision: Stay in school or pursue his dreams on the diamond? If he stayed, he'd continue to live with his parents in Los Mochis, a coastal city in northern Sinaloa famed for its sports including track and field and soccer. If he chose baseball, he'd leave his family behind to make the 13 hour drive to Monterrey, where he would play baseball every day.

"They gave me that decision. It was really hard." Muñoz told MLB.com recently. "Obviously, I would love to be able to do both things like they do [in America], but when I was younger, you have to make the choice. I made the choice to go for my dream."

Muñoz had his parents' full support, his mother and father soon following Muñoz to Monterrey as the youngster had not thought of bringing coats and jackets -- a necessity in the much cooler northern clime. But his parents were also concerned about the young pitcher's future. There are exponentially more athletes with hopes of Major League careers than there are professional athletes. They gave Muñoz an ultimatum:

"If you don't sign by the time you're 17, you go back to school," his mother told him.

Fortunately for Muñoz, who was recently named to his second All-Star Game, he didn't have to wait for long. The Mexico City Diablos Rojos signed the pitcher when he was 15 years old. The Padres then swooped in and inked the right-hander the next year, but Muñoz credits the start of his big league ascent to his time in the Mexico City academy.

"They taught me everything that I had to know over there," Muñoz said. "They taught me discipline. You have to be on time, if you do something wrong, you're not going to be able to use, 'Oh, I didn't wake up.' No, you're going to run the next day because of what you did. That was the best thing that happened to me, learning that from a younger age. As soon as I signed with the San Diego Padres, I was ready."

For Muñoz, baseball is a family affair. It's not just his mother and father who came in clutch, driving up to Monterrey to deliver warm clothing. Muñoz's two brothers and his wife, Wendy, have been providing him with their own personal scouting reports since he first signed with the Padres.

"I'm very grateful for them and everything they do and have done for me,” Muñoz told The Athletic (subscription required). “We sort of have the mentality that if I’m succeeding … we are all succeeding.”

It all goes back to his grandfather, Damaso Apodaca, who first introduced Muñoz to the game when he was just 11 years old.

"He was the first one who taught me how to play baseball, how to pitch," Muñoz said. "I am really happy of what I did with the time that I spent with him. He said he was very proud of what I made him feel when I [got to the Majors.] He didn't get to see me physically, but he saw me on TV the first time that I came to the big leagues. It was good that happened before he passed away."

Muñoz knows he's become a role model for the next generation of Mexican players who come behind him. He was one of four Mexican players on the 2025 All-Star rosters -- the first time that's happened in MLB history -- while the sport's popularity has exploded in the country since Mexico's semifinal run in the 2023 World Baseball Classic.

"I don't want to say I feel pressure, but obviously I want to be a good example for all the kids -- and that's why I am always very careful with what I do or what I say, because they are following," Muñoz said. "I remember being a kid and seeing somebody like that, I want to be a good example for them, somebody they can follow, because he is doing everything the way it's supposed to be done."

While he was unable to play in the 2023 Classic because he was recovering from an injury -- "I was following every game," Muñoz said. "I was trying to convince the team to let me go!" -- he hopes to play for his home country in 2026. He's had conversations with Team Mexico GM Rodrigo López and has expressed his interest. Now, he just has to stay healthy and hope his arm and body are fresh and ready come next spring.

"Obviously, I am really excited to go," Muñoz said. "If nothing happens and I'm healthy, I'm going to be there."

It doesn't hurt that Randy Arozarena, who was a viral star for Mexico last year, inspiring the team to celebrate with bright and colorful sombreros, is in the same Mariners clubhouse.

"We talk a little bit about it. We talk a lot about it, actually," Muñoz said with a laugh. "He had the experience to go there and be with the team and he shared with me some things that happened, like the energy. Everything is different. I would love to be a part of that."

Just 26 years old, Muñoz has already put together a stretch of dominance rarely seen. His 1.89 ERA over the past season and a half is the fourth-best among qualified relievers. His slider is a hitter's worst nightmare, with batters hitting just .070 against it in the first half of the season while whiffing on it more than half the time.

"To be honest, it's a dream come true. I said it the first time that I got to the All-Star Game and this second time, it doesn't feel any different," Muñoz said. "I didn't pitch the first time that I went there, but I learned a lot, and I am planning to do the same thing. I want to learn the most that I can from everybody else. From people who are older than me and have more time in the league, you always want to learn some things. And that is a good opportunity to learn with the best."

While Muñoz didn't get to pitch in his first All-Star Game, he appeared in Tuesday's contest. He retired two batters, walking one, and ended the inning by freezing Kyle Stowers on a 99-mph fastball at the knees. He's become just the fourth Mexican-born pitcher to be selected as an All-Star multiple times, joining Fernando Valenzuela (six times), Esteban Loaiza (two times) and Joakim Soria (two times).

"It means a lot to me," Muñoz said about being named alongside stars that he grew up idolizing, "because I am putting my country in a good position and they are talking about my country. That makes me really proud."