Seattle Mariners Call Up Top Prospect Mike Zunino

In a move that surprised virtually no one, the Seattle Mariners have summoned the services of their top overall prospect, catcher Mike Zunino.

Zunino arrives with the fanfare of being the #3 overall selection in the 2012 draft, but his 2013 season has been less than spectacular with Triple-A Tacoma. After posting an OPS over 1.000 between two levels in 2012, the catcher has posted “just” a .238/.303/.503 slash line with 11 home runs in 208 plate appearances this season.

Obviously, the .503 slugging percentage in a “down” year is indicative of the pure raw power that Zunino possesses, but he has struggled mightily with off-speed pitches in his second professional season. With that information out there, it may seem strange to see Seattle buy out his contract, but the Mariners also have a documented lack of catching depth with the demotion of their other prize prospect, Jesus Montero.

It is tough to fault the Mariners for bringing Zunino to the Major Leagues at this stage. With a 28-37 record, they are on the verge of falling out of the race already (in Early June), and with their offensive “firepower” (namely Dustin Ackley, Justin Smoak, and Montero) flaming out in a big way, they need the shot in the arm that he could provide.

Projecting his Major-League performance this year could be difficult, but if he receives regular playing time, I would expect the power to be there (with a .400+ slugging percentage) while his batting average/on-base tendencies would fall in the lower range. At any rate, the Mariners desperately need Zunino to perform, and all eyes will be on Seattle when he takes the field for the first time.