Mike Zunino

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.