| Munter, 6’6, 250 pounds, is an intimidating presence on the mound, due to his size and velocity. He primarily relies on an effective, heavy sinker, which usually sits in the low-to-mid 90s, and constantly prompts hitters to roll over their hands. Originally a first baseman in college at the University of Oklahoma, he transferred to Butler Community College (KS), where he transformed into a pitcher.
Munter developed his excellent sinker during his stint with Double-A Norwich in 2004, just three seasons after being selected by the San Francisco Giants in the 47th round of the 2001 draft. Within a year he was a weapon out of the Giants’ bullpen in a brief stint in the majors, posting a 2.56 ERA in 38.2 innings pitched over 45 appearances. Perhaps due to the lack of a reliable breaking pitch, he regressed the next season while continuing his comeback from elbow surgery. Although he made his first Opening Day roster, he was quickly optioned to Double-A, where his struggles continued. Munter, who made only 12 appearances with the Giants last season, has a career 3-2 record and 4.75 ERA in 84 games. For someone with his demeanor on the mound and height, however, his strikeouts totals are surprisingly low, again perhaps due to his failure to successfully develop a breaking pitch.
Along with Anderson, he is one of five non-roster invitee pitchers who the Rays have invited to spring training—Wade Davis, Christopher Mason and Jake McGee, none of whom has a realistic chance of starting with the Rays, being the three others. If he can effectively add another offering to his repertoire, he has perhaps the strongest chance of the aforementioned pitchers of latching on with the Rays at the end of Grapefruit League play. |
