Mike Zunino

Mike Zunino

32-Year-Old CatcherC
Cleveland Guardians
2023 Fantasy Outlook
Zunino managed to club 33 homers in just 109 games for the Rays in 2021, but he unsurprisingly wasn't able to replicate that performance last year. The 32-year-old was limited to only 36 contests in 2022 and underwent surgery for thoracic outlet syndrome in July, and he had a .148/.195/.304 slash line prior to being shut down. Zunino is the epitome of boom-or-bust with four seasons of twenty-plus home runs and 34.7 percent strikeout rate for his MLB career, but that power combined with solid defense gives him some upside at catcher. He signed with the Guardians and should operate as the club's No. 1 catcher in 2023, though prospect Bo Naylor is also likely to receive some time behind the plate. Zunino's strikeout issues make any offensive consistency near impossible, with the best-case scenario likely to be around 20 homers and a near-.200 average. Read Past Outlooks
RANKSFrom Preseason
#471
ADP
$Signed a one-year, $6 million contract with the Guardians in December of 2022.
On bench Sunday
CCleveland Guardians
June 4, 2023
Zunino is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Twins.
ANALYSIS
Zunino and Cam Gallagher have alternated starts behind the plate over Cleveland's past 11 games, and that trend will continue Sunday after Zunino went 0-for-4 with three strikeouts in Saturday's victory.
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Batting Stats
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2023
2022
2021
2020
2019
2018
2017
2023 MLB Game Log
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2022 MLB Game Log
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2021 MLB Game Log
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2020 MLB Game Log
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Batting Order Slot Breakdown
vs Right-Handed Pitchers
vs RHP
#1
#2
#3
#4
#5
#6
#7
#8
#9
5
17
vs Left-Handed Pitchers
vs LHP
#1
#2
#3
#4
#5
#6
#7
#8
#9
8
6
1
Left/Right Batting Splits
Since 2021
 
 
+81%
OPS vs LHP
2023
 
 
+66%
OPS vs LHP
2022
 
 
+1%
OPS vs RHP
2021
 
 
+102%
OPS vs LHP
OPS PA R HR RBI SB AVG OBP SLG
Since 2021vs Left 1.055 206 35 19 40 0 .291 .374 .681
Since 2021vs Right .583 417 47 22 49 0 .151 .228 .355
2023vs Left .857 37 7 1 5 0 .290 .405 .452
2023vs Right .515 88 4 2 6 0 .150 .227 .288
2022vs Left .497 40 2 2 5 0 .135 .200 .297
2022vs Right .500 83 5 3 11 0 .154 .193 .308
2021vs Left 1.287 129 26 16 30 0 .342 .419 .868
2021vs Right .637 246 38 17 32 0 .151 .240 .397
More Splits View More Split Stats
Home/Away Batting Splits
Since 2021
 
 
+5%
OPS on Road
2023
 
 
+13%
OPS on Road
2022
 
 
+17%
OPS on Road
2021
 
 
+4%
OPS at Home
OPS PA R HR RBI SB AVG OBP SLG
Since 2021Home .719 296 34 17 31 0 .195 .284 .435
Since 2021Away .754 327 48 24 58 0 .199 .269 .485
2023Home .572 53 3 1 3 0 .184 .245 .327
2023Away .644 72 8 2 8 0 .194 .306 .339
2022Home .467 71 3 2 6 0 .149 .183 .284
2022Away .545 52 4 3 10 0 .146 .212 .333
2021Home .878 172 28 14 22 0 .219 .337 .541
2021Away .843 203 36 19 40 0 .214 .271 .572
More Splits View More Split Stats
Stat Review
How does Mike Zunino compare to other hitters?
This section compares his stats with all batting seasons from the previous three seasons (minimum 400 plate appearances)*. The bar represents the player's percentile rank. For example, if the bar is halfway across, then the player falls into the 50th percentile for that stat and it would be considered average.

* Exit Velocity and Barrels/PA % are benchmarked against 2019 data (min 400 PA) and Hard Hit Rate is benchmarked against last season's data (min 400 PA). See here for more exit velocity/barrels stats plus an explanation of current limitations with that data set.
  • BB/K
    Walk to strikeout ratio
  • BB Rate
    The percentage of plate appearances resulting in a walk.
  • K Rate
    The percentage of plate appearances resulting in a strikeout.
  • BABIP
    Batting average on balls in play. Measures how many of a batter’s balls in play go for hits.
  • ISO
    Isolated Power. Slugging percentage minus batting average. A computation used to measure a batter's raw power.
  • AVG
    Batting average. Hits divided by at bats.
  • OBP
    On Base Percentage. A measure of how often a batters reaches base. Roughly equal to number of times on base divided by plate appearances.
  • SLG
    Slugging Percentage. A measure of the batting productivity of a hitter. It is calculated as total bases divided by at bats.
  • OPS
    On base plus slugging. THe sum of a batter's on-base percentage and slugging percentage.
  • wOBA
    Weighted on-base average. Measures a player's overall offensive contributions per plate appearance. wOBA combines all the different aspects of hitting into one metric, weighting each of them in proportion to their actual run value.
  • Exit Velocity
    The speed of the baseball as it comes off the bat, immediately after a batter makes contact.
  • Hard Hit Rate
    A measure of contact quality from Sports Info Solutions. This stat explains what percentage of batted balls were hit hard vs. medium or soft.
  • Barrels/PA
    The percentage of plate appearances where a batter had a batted ball classified as a Barrel. A Barrel is a batted ball with similar exit velocity and launch angle to past ones that led to a minimum .500 batting average and 1.500 slugging percentage.
  • Expected BA
    Expected Batting Average.
  • Expected SLG
    Expected Slugging Percentage.
  • Sprint Speed
    The speed of a runner from home to first, in feet per second.
  • Ground Ball %
    The percentage of balls put in play that are on the ground.
  • Line Drive %
    The percentage of balls put in play that are line drives.
  • Fly Ball %
    The percentage of balls put in play that are fly balls.
BB/K
0.25
 
BB Rate
10.4%
 
K Rate
42.4%
 
BABIP
.327
 
ISO
.144
 
AVG
.189
 
OBP
.280
 
SLG
.333
 
OPS
.613
 
wOBA
.277
 
Exit Velocity
85.1 mph
 
Hard Hit Rate
31.0%
 
Barrels/PA
3.2%
 
Expected BA
.160
 
Expected SLG
.272
 
Sprint Speed
23.4 ft/sec
 
Ground Ball %
46.6%
 
Line Drive %
15.5%
 
Fly Ball %
37.9%
 
Advanced Batting Stats
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Additional Stats
Games By Position
Defensive Stats
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Batted Ball Stats
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Stats Vs Upcoming Pitchers
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Recent RotoWire Articles Featuring Mike Zunino See More
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14 days ago
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Jason Collette breaks down his AL Tout Wars roster, which features Mariners phenom Julio Rodriguez leading the way.
Past Fantasy Outlooks
2022
2021
2020
2019
2018
2017
2016
2015
2014
2013
How does a guy who hit .160 the previous two seasons with 13 homers and a ton of strikeouts go out and have a career year like Zunino did in 2021? Some may look at 2017 as his career year, but the 2021 power numbers came out of nowhere for a guy that wasn't even being drafted in deep AL-only leagues until the reserve rounds. MVZ (he received a 10th place MVP vote) played most days, but was kept fresher with Francisco Mejia sharing duties with him, allowing Zunino to be strategically matched against all lefties (.342/.419/.868) while protected to an extent from righties (.151/.240/.397). No batter in baseball had a higher Barrels/PA than Zunino did in 2021 (min. 100 BBE). That said, the third straight season of sub-.200 average against righties is going to keep a cap on his average and the lefty mashing has zero track record. His 2022 could look a lot like his 2018.
"At least he's good behind the plate" has long been the justification for Zunino continuing to hold a major-league job. Chances are, 2020's slip in defense was just a sample-size blip, but considering it came in the same season in which he fanned at a career high 44.0% rate, it was somewhat surprising to see the Rays bring Zunino back on one-year, $2 million deal for 2021. Along with the elevated strikeouts, Zunino lofted flyballs at a 60.5% rate, further damaging batting average since flyballs staying in the yard are outs most of the time. Zunino's share of the playing time behind the plate is unclear after Tampa Bay acquired Francisco Mejia, but unless you have Wade Boggs, Tony Gwynn and Ty Cobb buffering his batting average, the appeal here is minimal regardless. There are better ways to add power to your fantasy lineup.
The unfortunate reality here is that Zunino is a catcher without a bat. However, he is as good behind the plate as he is inept at the plate, so he should stick around for a while yet. He has a lot of power, but Zunino has poor contact skills and really has to guess right or pounce on a mistake to do any damage with pitches. The 2017 season was a clear aberration in his batting average, and any contending team has to pick and choose when to use his defense in the lineup because his bat becomes a dead zone in the order. He is one more season away from a career average below the Mendoza Line with no signs of improvement on the way. You can buy his 20-homer potential for $1 on draft day, but you would still be overpaying for what he does on your roster.
Tampa Bay acquired Zunino from Seattle early in the offseason. He grades out well according to most fielding metrics, meshing well with the Rays' defense- and pitching-minded philosophy. Offensively, Zunino offers plus power but little else. He's fanned in at least one-third of his plate appearances since becoming a regular in 2014. He's durable for a backstop, playing in at least 112 games four of the last five seasons. In three of those years, he's smashed at least 20 homers. It's apparent 2017 is an outlier in terms of average as Zunino hasn't come close to the .251 mark posted that season. Tampa generally plays its lead catcher a lot so expect similar numbers to those he put up with the Mariners: Mario Mendoza with 20-something homers. If you can absorb the low average, Zunino will be a fantasy asset in all formats, though low walks hurt in OBP and points leagues.
The good news is Zunino shattered his career best slash line, hitting .251/.331/.509 with 25 homers last season. The bad news is he whiffed even more than usual, setting a new low in terms of contact. The safe play is to expect BABIP regression, but will Zunino land closer to his 2017 campaign or his usual flirtation with the Mendoza Line? Since Zunino was among the league leader in barrels for the second straight season, it's plausible he figured something out, and while he still struggles to make contact, when bat meets ball it's usually squared up. Still, anyone who whiffs that much is a candidate for a long slump. Splitting the difference seems fair. Zunino's defense isn't Gold Glove caliber, but it's not a liability. Based on that, and his established power, Zunino deserves regular at-bats, thus he is draft-worthy in all formats except points leagues penalizing for strikeouts. Just be prepared for the possibility that 2017 is a complete outlier in terms of average.
Zunino's career .195 batting average, 32.4 percent strikeout rate and 16.6 percent swinging-strike rate clearly paint him as a hacker. He finally proved in 2016, however, that he can tap into the home-run upside many have been yearning for from his bat for years - along with a bit of gravy in his 10.9 percent walk rate. This progression resembled the 10.7 percent free-pass rate he showed at Triple-A last season. Of course, that happened in his third stint at the highest farm level -- so it's not entirely surprising that he conquered it. He will still whiff frequently at major-league breaking balls. Even with his flaws, however, he still carries some intrigue. Carlos Ruiz's backup duty aside, Zunino may remain the priority for playing time. Landing a backstop on the cheap with a difference-making skill could lead to a useful fantasy profit. Zunino's power fits that bill, but his batting average could cripple a roster.
After Zunino batted .199 with a .658 OPS in 2014, it was obvious he needed more time in the minors to hone his hitting skills. But there he was on Opening Day as the Mariners' starting catcher, and the next five months he caught more innings than any AL backstop other than Salvador Perez, all while flailing away at the plate. When he was finally, mercifully, sent to Triple-A in late August, Zunino's .174 batting average was on pace to be the lowest in the majors since 1892. Among players with at least Zunino's 386 plate appearances, his average ranked eighth-lowest all-time. Thankfully, Zunino will get as much time as he needs in the minors this season, as the Mariners acquired catchers Chris Iannetta and Steve Clevenger. Zunino has good power when he runs into a fastball, but he has to make better contact (62% last year) and cut his strikeouts - he led MLB with one whiff every 2.92 plate appearances (min 350 PA) - to be an everyday catcher again.
Zunino set a franchise record for home runs by a catcher last season, but it came with a .199 average, the lowest in the majors among catchers with at least 300 at-bats. More than half (44) of Zunino's 87 hits went for extra bases. Yes, Zunino can jump on a major league fastball. It's on breaking and offspeed pitches where his at-bats go to die. Zunino struck out in a third of his plate appearances last season while walking just 3.6% of the time. But he's just 24 and is still developing after being rushed to the big leagues with only 419 minor league plate appearances under his belt. The Mariners like the way he handles the pitching staff, and there is no one around to challenge him for playing time.
Zunino had a rough rookie season. Promoted in June, a broken hand in late July caused him to miss more than month. Zunino is still trying to find his way at the plate, as a steady diet of breaking and offspeed pitches proved to be his nemesis. The Mariners, though, are content to focus most of his attention on his catching for now. The Mariners could bring in a veteran catcher to tutor Zunino this year, but the team is clearly banking on him as the catcher of the future. While the 2012 No. 3 overall pick didn't make quite as big an impact as many expected last season, Zunino will have ample opportunity to make a name for himself this season. Keep an eye on him this spring and into the year – the raw power he showed last year could quickly increase his value for fantasy owners.
The 2012 Golden Spikes Award winner as the nation's top amateur player, Zunino was drafted third overall by the Mariners, who were enamored with his defense. It's been his bat, though, that has turned heads thus far - 13 homers between short-season Everett (1.210 OPS) and Double-A Jacksonville (.974 OPS) in 44 games - while his defense has caused some angst. He was said to have good hands and good agility, but he struggled blocking pitches behind the plate. Nevertheless, after a good showing in the Arizona Fall League with his bat, he goes to spring training with a shot at making the big-league club. The Mariners have only one catcher, Jesus Montero, on the roster after dealing John Jaso in January. And Montero likely will spend time again at DH, making a third catcher necessary. Zunino's bat might be ready, but his catching likely needs more polish, and the Mariners won't be quick to sacrifice essential development time. Triple-A is probably more realistic, though it won't surprise if he makes his way to Seattle at some point this season. Long-term, Zunino is clearly the catcher of the future, which also means Montero is destined for DH/1B duty.
More Fantasy News
Not starting Friday
CCleveland Guardians
June 2, 2023
Zunino isn't in the Guardians' lineup Friday against Minnesota, Zack Meisel of The Athletic reports.
ANALYSIS
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On bench Wednesday
CCleveland Guardians
May 31, 2023
Zunino will sit Wednesday versus Baltimore.
ANALYSIS
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Sitting Monday
CCleveland Guardians
May 29, 2023
Zunino is out of the lineup Monday versus Baltimore.
ANALYSIS
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Breather Saturday
CCleveland Guardians
May 27, 2023
Zunino is not in the starting lineup Saturday versus the Cardinals.
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Sits Wednesday
CCleveland Guardians
May 24, 2023
Zunino is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the White Sox.
ANALYSIS
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