Mike Zunino, Catcher, Cleveland Guardians

Date of Birth: 3/25/1991
Birthplace: Cape Coral, Florida
College: University of Florida

Mike Zunino, catcher for the Cleveland Guardians, was drafted by the Seattle Mariners in 2012. After less than two years in the minor leagues, he was called up to the Mariners in 2013. He batted .286 while in the Mariners' minor league system.

In 2013, Zunino played in 52 games with the Mariners. He batted .214 with 37 hits. As a catcher in 50 games, he made 22 assists, 363 putouts, and 2 errors and he had a .995 fielding percentage.

Zunino finished the 2014 season with 87 hits, 20 doubles, 22 home runs, 60 RBIs, 158 strikeouts to 17 walks, and a .199 batting average in 131 games. As a catcher, he made 84 assists, 1,010 putouts, and 5 errors. He caught players trying to steal 28.3% of the time.

Zunino played in 112 games with the Mariners in 2015. He finished the season with 61 hits and a .174 batting average. As a catcher in 112 games, he made 44 assists, 809 putouts, and 5 errors. He caught players trying to steal 34.4% of the time and he had a .994 fielding percentage.

In 2016, Zunino split his time between the minors and the Mariners. He played in 55 games with Seattle and he batted .207.

Zunino batted .251 in 124 games with the Mariners in 2017. He finished the season with 97 hits, 25 doubles, 25 home runs, 64 RBIs, and 160 strikeouts to 39 walks. Defensively, as the Mariners' catcher in 120 games, he made 56 assists, 894 putouts, and 7 errors. He caught players trying to steal 23.9% of the time.

Zunino finished the 2018 season with 75 hits, 18 doubles, 20 home runs, 44 RBIs, 150 strikeouts to 24 walks, and a .201 batting average in 113 games. Defensively, as a catcher in 111 games, he made 43 assists, 880 putouts, and 2 errors. He caught players trying to steal 34.6% of the time and he had a .998 fielding percentage.

The Mariners traded Zunino to the Tampa Bay Rays on November 8, 2018. He spent time on the DL in 2019 with a left quadricep strain. He finished the season with 44 hits and a .165 batting average in 90 games. Defensively, as a catcher in 89 games, he made 37 assists, 764 putouts, and 6 errors, and he caught players trying to steal 38.6% of the time. He didn't play in the postseason.

Zunino spent time on the IL in 2020 with a left oblique strain. He finished the season with a .147 batting average in 28 games. In the postseason, he batted .170 with 9 hits in 53 at-bats in 19 games.

Zunino played in 109 games in 2021. He finished the season with 72 hits, 33 home runs, 62 RBIs, 132 strikeouts to 34 walks, and a .216 batting average. As a catcher in 105 games, he made 37 assists, 909 putouts, and 5 errors. He caught players trying to steal 22% of the time. In the postseason, he had 2 hits in 15 at-bats in 4 games.

Zunino became a free agent on November 6, 2022. He signed with the Guardians on December 15th.

Career batting statistics for Zunino through 2021 include:

• 814 games played
• 518 hits
• 111 doubles
• 141 home runs
• 345 RBIs
• 981 strikeouts to 198 walks
• .202 batting average

Career fielding statistics for Zunino as a catcher through 2021 include:

• 797 games played
• 353 assists
• 6,273 putouts
• 33 errors
• 28% caught stealing percentage
• .995 fielding percentage

Sources for Information
Wikipedia - Mike Zunino
ESPN - Mike Zunino