Zunio is Seattle’s fourth-best prospect and No. 50 on its top 100 list
Anchored by uber ace Felix Hernandez, the Seattle Mariners’ rotation could be joined by three of the game’s top starting pitching prospects – Taijaun Walker, Danny Hultzen and James Paxton – as early as next season. That might coincide with the Major League debut of one of baseball’s top catching prospects, Mike Zunino.
A third overall pick by the Mariners in the 2012 draft out of the University of Florida and the 2012 Golden Spikes Award Winner as the nation’s top amateur baseball player, Zunino is already garnering acclaim in his brief professional career.
MLB.com recently rated him as Seattle’s fourth-best prospect and No. 50 on its top 100 list. He was also ranked as the third-best catching prospect in the game by MLB.com. Toronto’s Travis d’Arnaud and New York Yankees’ Gary Sanchez are one and two respectively.
Much like San Francisco’s Buster Posey did, Zunino has a chance to rapidly ascend to the majors because of his leadership, arm strength and defense behind the plate and his ability to hit for average and power.
Projected as a middle of the order bat in the majors, Zunino posted a .360 average with 13 home runs, 43 RBI and a 1.137 OPS in 161 at-bats between Everett of the low-A Northwest League and Jackson of the Double-A Southern League this year.
