Friday night marked the next level of a new dynamic in the Padres bullpen, one they plan on continuing to cultivate.

Andres Munoz made his major league debut in the sixth inning of a 5-3 loss to the Braves, and the 20-year-old right-hander not only threw harder any Padres pitcher has since at least 2015 but also let fly eight of the 10 fastest pitches by a Padres pitcher this season.

Among his nine fastballs, only one (at 99.5) didn’t hit triple digits. The 101.9 mph pitch Brian McCann fouled off was the fastest by any Padres pitcher since the start of the Statcast era (2015).

McCann had watched a 101.4 mph fastball called a strike on the previous pitch and after watching another 100 mph fastball above the zone, swung through an 87 mph slider for the final out of the eighth inning.


With that, Munoz walked off the mound to cheers, with many fans standing. When his first pitch flew past Nick Markakis’ bat and the scoreboard read 100 mph, there had been a collective murmur and then cheers throughout Petco Park.

While improved movement and command with his slider helped Munoz along the fast track to the majors, his velocity is what excites the Padres.

“We’ve got some velo down there now,” manager Andy Green said. “In that sense, it becomes easier to match up with teams that might struggle with that.”

Robert Stock regularly topped 100 mph for the Padres in 2018 and did so three times this season between his demotion to Triple-A and before his current stay on the injured list. Trey Wingenter hit triple digits once last season. No other Padres pitcher had done so since 2016.


Wingenter, at an average of 96.5 mph and a top speed of 98 this year, is now the bullpen’s third-hardest thrower behind Munoz and Gerardo Reyes.

Reyes threw a perfect seventh inning Friday, hitting 98 four times and 99.8 on his final pitch, a called third strike on Ozzie Albies.

Michel Baez and Adrian Morejon, both in Double-A and both with fastballs that reach the upper 90s, are due to be in San Diego later this summer.

Not another one

One hard-throwing young reliever the Padres will be without the rest of this season and into next is Miguel Diaz.


The right-hander underwent major knee surgery this month after tearing multiple ligaments in his knee running out a grounder while with Triple-A El Paso.

Diaz, who averages just under 96 mph on his fastball, began the season on the injured list after meniscus surgery. He allowed eight hits and two runs and struck out seven over 7 2/3 innings in his final four appearances for the Chihuahuas.

Not just the pen

With Dinelson Lamet back, the Padres starting rotation has another flame thrower.

Padres’ starting pitchers average just 91.7 mph on their fastballs, tied for third-lowest in the majors. Lamet joins Chris Paddack as the only starter who can consistently throw 95-plus.


Friday night was the first game this season every pitcher the Padres used averaged at least 94 mph. Matt Strahm, at 94, was the slowest of the five. Luis Perdomo averaged 94.3.

“Those are real arms,” Green said. “Those guys have the ability to neutralize a lot of hitters. For them, it’s going to be pound the strike zone with the fastball. There’s going to be enough in their fastball that if they’re in the zone, they don’t have to be perfect. They just have to be in the zone. And they all throw a good enough secondary pitch to keep them off the fastball at times so you can’t just sit there on the fastball. It’s live stuff. There’s going to be punchouts. There’s going to be quick, efficient innings. For them, it’s attack hitters and stay in the strike zone.”



Notable

Francisco Mejia grounded into two double plays Friday before hitting an RBI single in the ninth inning. He has at least one hit in 11 of his 12 starts since being recalled on in mid-June.

The Padres’ three double play grounders tied their season high. They have grounded in 72 double plays in 542 opportunities, a 13.3 percent rate that ranks as second worst in the majors.

The three double plays the Padres turned on defense also matched a season high.

Franmil Reyes went 2-for-3 and has at least one hit in eight of his past nine games, going 12-for-34 in that stretch. He also walked Friday and has his on-base percentage up to .307, one point shy of his season high.