Mike Zunino

Organization Prospect Rankings

• 
  Ranked Seattle Mariners #1 prospect in 2013
  Zunino has grown up around the game. His father Greg has been a scout for more than 25 years and currently works with the Reds. Coming out of Mariner High (Cape Coral, Fla.) in 2009, Zunino was regarded as a fifth-round talent but fell to the Athletics in the 29th round because of his strong commitment to Florida. He hit 47 homers in three seasons with the Gators, improving each season and leading them to three College World Series. He won the Baseball America College Player of the Year and Golden Spikes awards in 2012, when he batted .322/.394/.669 while ranking third in NCAA Division I with 28 doubles, fourth with 19 homers and fifth with 150 total bases. The first college player selected and the third overall pick in the 2012 draft, he signed for $4 million. His year continued to get better, as he batted .360/.447/.689 with 13 homers while reaching Double-A Jackson, then married his high school sweetheart before heading to the Arizona Fall League. From a pure tools standpoint, Zunino doesn't have a single attribute that really wows evaluators. Power is his best tool and it's his only one that scouts grade as plus. He shows an excellent ability to backspin balls, generating above-average pop to all fields. With his strong hands and forearms, he stays through the ball well and shows an advanced ability to drive pitches to the opposite field. He never gives away at-bats and has a patient, balanced approach. Zunino has below-average speed, but he has keen instincts and is a sound baserunner. Even with his muscular frame, he's agile behind the plate. He has a take-charge attitude and pitchers love throwing to him. Though Zunino handled plenty of talented pitchers at Florida, he'll need to continue to make subtle adjustments to handling a pro staff. He has strong hands but can box balls at times, and he allowed nine passed balls in 44 pro games. His arm strength is average to a tick above, and he gets the most out of it with smooth footwork and a quick transfer. He threw out 43 percent of basestealers during his first pro season. Overall, Zunino's sum is greater than his parts and his tools play up because of his makeup. He has a strong work ethic and is a natural leader on and off the field. He has the requisite toughness for his position and an excellent baseball IQ. The last time the Mariners spent the No. 3 overall pick on a catcher, they passed up Troy Tulowitzki to take Jeff Clement in 2005. Taking Zunino should work out better, and he's on a fast track to the big leagues. He'll presumably attend big league spring training, though it's doubtful he'll be with the Mariners on Opening Day. More likely, he'll start the season with Triple-A Tacoma. Zunino has all-star potential as a middle-of-the-order hitter at an up-the-middle position, drawing comparisons to Jason Varitek. There's no need to rush Zunino, but he could force the team's hand and he renders moot any questions about Jesus Montero's ability to stay behind the plate.

Draft Prospects

• Ranked #2 prospect in 2012 draft
  The son of Reds scout Greg Zunino, Mike has been a three-year starter for the Gators and was the Southeastern Conference player of the year in 2011, when he ranked seventh in Division I with 19 home runs. Zunino doesn't wow scouts with tools but beats opponents steadily with his strength, solid catching ability and professional approach. Zunino's bat projects to be above-average for a major league catcher. He has excellent strength in his 6-foot-2, 220-pound frame and has a short swing when he's locked in. Scouts generally give him 50-55 grades for his bat and 55-60 grades for his power on the 20-80 scouting scale. He has had some issues with breaking balls down and away this season, fairly typical for righthanded sluggers. His catch-and-throw skills are solid-average, though he'll box some balls and tends to have tailing action on his throws. Zunino grew up around the game and has superior intangibles and leadership skills, and scouts don't shrink from Jason Varitek comparisons. They rave about his feel for the game and presence as attributes that show up when you see the Gators on a consistent basis. Zunino isn't as exciting as recent top college catchers such as Buster Posey and Matt Wieters but isn't too far behind them in terms of ceiling. He figures to come off the board in the first three picks and is a candidate to go No. 1 overall.

Minor League Top Prospects

• 
  Ranked Northwest League #1 prospect in 2012
  Zunino enjoyed a stellar career at Florida, leading the Gators to three College World Series in three years and winning the Baseball America's College Player of the Year and the Golden Spikes awards in 2012. After signing for $4 million as the No. 3 overall pick in the draft, he hit better at Everett and in Double-A than he did as a junior. Power is Zunino's lone plus tool, and everything else grades as solid except for his below-average speed. He has grown up around the game, as his father Greg has been a scout for more than 20 years, so it's no surprise that Mike has a high baseball IQ. He threw out 43 percent of NWL basestealers and calls a good game, though he can sharpen up his receiving, blocking and throwing mechanics. "He has plus power to all fields," said Everett manager Rob Mummau, who's also Zunino's signing scout. "That's the one thing that really, really stands out. You watch him take batting practice and he can really backspin a ball with the best of 'em . . . The complement of all five tools and then his leadership capabilities and the fact that he plays a premium position, you just don't see that very often."
• 
  Ranked Arizona Fall League #7 prospect in 2012
  Zunino was the third overall selection in June and one of two 2012 draft picks to play in the AFL (along with Rays third baseman Richie Shaffer). The 21-year-old catcher impressed in his pro debut, finishing the season at Double-A Jackson, and batted .288/.337/.463 for the Javelinas. Offensively, Zunino displays excellent barrel ability and above-average power to all fields. Scouts project him to bat .260 with 20 home runs as a major leaguer, something just three catchers did in 2012. Behind the dish, Zunino struggled early but showed improvements in his receiving and blocking abilities over the course of the season. He is an effective communicator and projects to be an average defender. According to one evaluator, Zunino could very well break camp with the Mariners next spring.

Top 100 Rankings

• Ranked Baseball America's #17 prospect in 2013

• December, 2012 Scouting Report
  Background: Zunino has grown up around the game. His father Greg has been a scout for more than 25 years and currently works with the Reds. Coming out of Mariner High (Cape Coral, Fla.) in 2009, Zunino was regarded as a fifth-round talent but fell to the Athletics in the 29th round because of his strong commitment to Florida. He hit 47 homers in three seasons with the Gators, improving each season and leading them to three College World Series. He won the Baseball America College Player of the Year and Golden Spikes awards in 2012, when he batted .322/.394/.669 while ranking third in NCAA Division I with 28 doubles, fourth with 19 homers and fifth with 150 total bases. The first college player selected and the third overall pick in the 2012 draft, he signed for $4 million. His year continued to get better, as he batted .360/.447/.689 with 13 homers while reaching Double-A Jackson, then married his high school sweetheart before heading to the Arizona Fall League. Scouting Report: From a pure tools standpoint, Zunino doesn't have a single attribute that really wows evaluators. Power is his best tool and it's his only one that scouts grade as plus. He shows an excellent ability to backspin balls, generating above-average pop to all fields. With his strong hands and forearms, he stays through the ball well and shows an advanced ability to drive pitches to the opposite field. He never gives away at-bats and has a patient, balanced approach. Zunino has below-average speed, but he has keen instincts and is a sound baserunner. Even with his muscular frame, he's agile behind the plate. He has a take-charge attitude and pitchers love throwing to him. Though Zunino handled plenty of talented pitchers at Florida, he'll need to continue to make subtle adjustments to handling a pro staff. He has strong hands but can box balls at times, and he allowed nine passed balls in 44 pro games. His arm strength is average to a tick above, and he gets the most out of it with smooth footwork and a quick transfer. He threw out 43 percent of basestealers during his first pro season. Overall, Zunino's sum is greater than his parts and his tools play up because of his makeup. He has a strong work ethic and is a natural leader on and off the field. He has the requisite toughness for his position and an excellent baseball IQ. The Future: The last time the Mariners spent the No. 3 overall pick on a catcher, they passed up Troy Tulowitzki to take Jeff Clement in 2005. The decision to take Zunino should work out better, and he's on a fast track to the big leagues. He'll presumably attend big league spring training, though it's doubtful he'll be with the Mariners on Opening Day. More likely, he'll start the season with Triple-A Tacoma. He has all-star potential as a middle-of-the-order hitter at an up-the-middle position, drawing comparisons with Jason Varitek. With Seattle still a year away from contention if everything goes right, there's no need to rush Zunino, but he could force the team's hand if he continues to perform like he did in his debut. He renders moot any questions about Jesus Montero's ability to stay behind the plate.
• August, 2012 Scouting Report
  Zunino was the third overall selection in June and one of two 2012 draft picks to play in the AFL (along with Rays third baseman Richie Shaffer). The 21-year-old catcher impressed in his pro debut, finishing the season at Double-A Jackson, and batted .288/.337/.463 for the Javelinas. Offensively, Zunino displays excellent barrel ability and above-average power to all fields. Scouts project him to bat .260 with 20 home runs as a major leaguer, something just three catchers did in 2012. Behind the dish, Zunino struggled early but showed improvements in his receiving and blocking abilities over the course of the season. He is an effective communicator and projects to be an average defender. According to one evaluator, Zunino could very well break camp with the Mariners next spring.
• December, 2011 Scouting Report
  Zunino enjoyed a stellar career at Florida, leading the Gators to three College World Series in three years and winning the Baseball America's College Player of the Year and the Golden Spikes awards in 2012. After signing for $4 million as the No. 3 overall pick in the draft, he hit better at Everett and in Double-A than he did as a junior. Power is Zunino's lone plus tool, and everything else grades as solid except for his below-average speed. He has grown up around the game, as his father Greg has been a scout for more than 20 years, so it's no surprise that Mike has a high baseball IQ. He threw out 43 percent of NWL basestealers and calls a good game, though he can sharpen up his receiving, blocking and throwing mechanics. "He has plus power to all fields," said Everett manager Rob Mummau, who's also Zunino's signing scout. "That's the one thing that really, really stands out. You watch him take batting practice and he can really backspin a ball with the best of 'em . . . The complement of all five tools and then his leadership capabilities and the fact that he plays a premium position, you just don't see that very often."