Arnie Munoz Stats & Scouting Report

IP	19
ERA	9.474
WHIP	2.368
BB/9	9
SO/9	6.632

Full name Arnaldo Rafel Munoz
Born 06/21/1982 in Esperanza Valverde Mao, Dominican Republic
Profile Ht.: 5'9" / Wt.: 185 / Bats: L / Throws: L
School Instituto Platon
Debut 06/19/2004

Top Rankings

Organization Prospect Rankings

No longer the choirboy sensation with the mother of all curveballs, the little Dominican lefthander has reached the point of now or never with the White Sox. Had he remained on the career path he was on before 2004, he could have been Chicago's No. 5 starter last year, or possibly filled the lefty-reliever role Neal Cotts handled so well. But Munoz never has seemed to recover from the shock of being pummeled by the Expos in his big league debut in June 2004. He earned the promotion after dominating in Double-A but hasn't shown the same ability since. His curve, once a lights-out weapon, has become inconsistent. His control and command haven't been as good either. Munoz also throws an average 90-mph fastball, plus a slider and a changeup. Unless he has a huge spring, he's a candidate to be traded or placed on waivers.
When Munoz struggled in 2003, the White Sox wrote it off because he had pitched too much while starring in the Dominican Winter League during the offseason. But they don't know what to think about his 2004 season, which turned into a major bust after a promising start. He returned to Double-A to get a trial as a starter and was lights out, earning a big league start on June 19. Munoz gave up 11 runs in three innings in his big league debut against the Expos and never recovered, combining for a 6.43 ERA between the big leagues and Triple-A. Munoz' dynamite curveball lacked its usual sharpness and he lost track of the strike zone at the upper levels. Scouts say he needs to regain confidence in his 90-mph fastball, and his slider and changeup still have plenty of room for improvement. Munoz still is just 22 but is at a crossroads. His long-term future figures to be in the bullpen.
Munoz was named pitcher of the year in the Dominican League after the 2002 season, and he paid for it. He barely had any time off before spring training and the workload showed. His snapdragon curveball didn't have its usual bite as he failed to impress in big league camp and started slowly in Triple-A. When it's on, Munoz' curveball is one of the best in the minors. He uses tremendous arm speed to get the same violent break as Barry Zito. Munoz' fastball can touch 90 mph. Those two pitches account for his ratio of 10.9 strikeouts per nine innings as a pro and make him a scourge on lefthanders, who hit just .128 against him last year. He's poised and controls the running game exceptionally well. Munoz continues working on his changeup and slider. He needs something more to get righties out after they torched him for a .339 average in 2003. The White Sox haven't given him a chance to start because he's a maximum-effort pitcher who wears down after one trip through the lineup. The Sox appear set with lefties Damaso Marte and Kelly Wunsch in their bullpen, but Munoz has intriguing talent. He figures to arrive in Chicago at some point in 2004 and has Eddie Guarado potential.
Because the baby-faced Munoz isn't intimidating and has been used in the thankless role of middle relief, he has escaped attention. But there's no overlooking his results. He asserted himself by pitching well in Class A in 2001, then skipped a level and was unfazed by Double-A as a teenager. He pitched lights out in the Dominican this winter. There aren't many minor league curveballs better than the Zito-esque one Munoz possesses. His fastball parks in the 87-89 range and can be run up to 91 when needed. Those two pitches alone can make him unhittable for all but the best lefthanders. An improved changeup and a consistent sinker help him attack righties. His pickoff move freezes runners. Munoz wears down after 30-40 pitches, losing his arm angle, which flattens out his pitches. He has averaged 4.6 walks per nine innings as pro, though he cut that mark to 3.6 in 2002. While a stop in Triple-A is likely, Munoz could give the White Sox the same second-half lift they received when Mark Buehrle joined the bullpen in 2000. Munoz should occupy a set-up role, but it's not far-fetched to project him as a middle-of-the-rotation starter.
Don't judge this book by its cover. The little Dominican may have been standing on a telephone book when he was measured at 5-foot-9, but he's a fighter with lots of heart. Munoz had enough talent for the White Sox to sign him at age 16, and he needed only one season at their Dominican academy to earn a coveted visa. Last year he held hitters to a .161 average and averaged 13.0 strikeouts per nine innings in the South Atlantic League, which he led with 60 appearances. Munoz has an eye-popping, Barry Zito-style curveball that makes him essentially unhittable for lefthanders. He complements it with another effective curveball that breaks down. His fastball is sneaky fast, reaching the low 90s at times. Opponents almost never try to run against Munoz, whose move to first base is a true weapon. He needs to work on getting ahead of hitters, as he has walked 5.2 per nine innings in his short career. He won't turn 20 until the middle of this season, which means his velocity could increase in coming years. He has all the makings of a feared situational lefty.

Minor League Top Prospects

Munoz still hasn't proven he can get hitters out at higher levels or answered questions about whether his best long-term role is starting or relieving, but this much is clear: Double-A hitters can't do anything with him. After a dominant season as a reliever at Birmingham in 2002, Munoz was back this season as a starter and again overmatched SL hitters. He wasn't able to come close to the same results in Triple-A (5.68 ERA) or the majors (11.05), however. The White Sox believe Munoz has more value as a starter because he has shown an ability to get righthanders as well as lefties out. But his outstanding curveball alone isn't enough to get out more advanced hitters. He needs to work more off his 90-mph fastball, trust his stuff and improve his command.