Managing a pitching staff at the college level after high school baseball requires plenty of adjustment and it’s something that is a struggle for most freshman catchers. For Mike Zunino, it’s something that comes natural.
Zunino has to know what’s going on in the mind of all 17 pitchers on the Florida staff. What makes them tick? What are their tendencies? What pitch is their go-to pitch? What pitches do they struggle with in what situations? What can he say to calm them down after giving up a big hit or when there are runners on base and the count favors the hitter?
He also has to take on the mind of a pitching coach when it comes to the mechanics of the guys who are throwing to him. If the pitcher is opening his front shoulder when throwing a pitch or not releasing his breaking ball at the correct point or over-striding, it’s the catcher’s job to let him know.
It’s a lot for any freshman to handle. Zunino’s been at it since September and it’s an experience he wouldn’t trade for anything in the world.
“It’s difficult, but it’s a lot of fun,” Zunino said. “Back in high school, you never really had a staff. Then you come here and everybody’s ability is off the charts. It’s so much fun watching everybody do their own thing. You make little side notes about certain pitchers strengths and weaknesses, and what they can do in certain situations.”
For the most part, what Zunino has learned about handling pitchers can’t be taught. Catchers either have it or they don’t. It’s almost impossible to coach a catcher up on the thing he should be focusing on and when he should understand is a good time to meet with the pitcher at the mound.
It’s one of these things that only comes with on-the-job training.
“A lot of it is instinctual,” Florida head coach Kevin O’Sullivan said. “That’s what helps Zunino. He’s grown up in a baseball family. It’s something where you’re constantly learning. There are always adjustments you have to make. You have to treat each pitcher differently based on their personality and know their strengths. You need to be a student of the game and have some leadership skills.”
Zunino has been forced to figure out what the veterans already know just since September in practice as well as fall and spring scrimmages.
During the fall, Zunino realized how much more there was to learn. His dad is an area scout for the Cincinnati Reds, which give him a baseball pedigree from the womb, but even though he’s been around the game all his life, Zunino discovered just how much more he needs to know.
“I learned that there’s a lot more to the game than what I knew,” Zunino said. “I came in and thought I knew a lot, because my dad knew a lot of baseball, but there’s so much more at the college level than there is at the high school level. I’ve learned to manage a pitching staff.”
After a fall that stretched his learning curve, Zunino came back to Gainesville in January ready to compete for a starting spot. He’s performed well enough that he’s in position to get the starting nod Friday night when the Gators open the season against USF at McKethan Stadium (6:30 p.m. start).
At Florida, where O’Sullivan also serves as the team’s pitching coach, catchers have responsibility to call most of the pitches. Sometimes it’s the coach who makes the call, but the bulk of the time, O’Sullivan trusts his catcher.
“He has put all the trust in the catchers,” Zunino said. “We have a system for when Sully calls pitches. We’ve gone over that a few times, but nothing too much where he has taken it all over. He has told us that he doesn’t want to call most of the pitches in a game because that really doesn’t dictate how the game goes. It’s all about the pitchers executing.”
The trust O’Sullivan puts in his catchers requires a level of maturity you don’t often see in a freshman. Zunino feels he has grown up thanks to the trust O’Sullivan has placed in him.
“It gives you a ton of confidence in you to go in there and call your pitches and know that your pitches are the right pitches,” Zunino said. “He trusts you now matter what you put down. He knows we trust the pitchers and that’s the key.”
O’Sullivan has been keeping a close eye on Zunino for quite some time. Having seen him play in high school, O’Sullivan already knew Zunino was wise beyond his years because Zunino never tied performance at the plate with performance behind the plate. ,
“He understands the position,” O’Sullivan said. “He understands that if he goes 0-4, he can do a heck of a lot of other things to help us win. He doesn’t take the bat behind the plate. He takes pride in his defense. That’s the one thing we’ve preached to the catchers is a win-loss record. We always talk about it with pitchers, but it’s important with catchers too.”
Zunino hasn’t just learned the nuances of catching at this level. He has also changed his swing a bit. Under the tutelage of the Florida coaches, Zunino is now starting swing with his hands lower than they used to be, which allows him to have a flatter swing and that keeps the barrel of the bat in the strike zone for a longer period of time. He has become more disciplined and improved his two-strike swing, cutting down the strikeouts in the process.
With the bat in the strike zone longer, he can now take more time to evaluate the pitch before deciding to swing or not.
“I’ve learned how to have an approach at the plate,” Zunino said. “The main thing they did with me here was change my swing around and teach me an approach. Now I go up there with a plan. In high school, you’re just a free swinger. Your ability takes over at that point. Here, you really have to put the mental side of it to know what you want to do and get accomplished in situations.”
If soaking up the game of baseball like a sponge is indicative of future success, then Mike Zunino’s future star at Florida should shine very bright. Whether it’s behind the plate or with the bat in his hands, Zunino has the look of a veteran and not the wide-eyed look of a true freshman. Nobody should be surprised if he turns out to be a big-time contributor in his first year in the orange and blue.