Mike Zunino

The son of Reds scout Greg Zunino, Mike has been a three-year starter for the Gators and was the Southeastern Conference player of the year in 2011, when he ranked seventh in Division I with 19 home runs. Zunino doesn't wow scouts with tools but beats opponents steadily with his strength, solid catching ability and professional approach. Zunino's bat projects to be above-average for a major league catcher. He has excellent strength in his 6-foot-2, 220-pound frame and has a short swing when he's locked in. Scouts generally give him 50-55 grades for his bat and 55-60 grades for his power on the 20-80 scouting scale. He has had some issues with breaking balls down and away this season, fairly typical for righthanded sluggers. His catch-and-throw skills are solid-average, though he'll box some balls and tends to have tailing action on his throws. Zunino grew up around the game and has superior intangibles and leadership skills, and scouts don't shrink from Jason Varitek comparisons. They rave about his feel for the game and presence as attributes that show up when you see the Gators on a consistent basis. Zunino isn't as exciting as recent top college catchers such as Buster Posey and Matt Wieters but isn't too far behind them in terms of ceiling. He figures to come off the board in the first three picks and is a candidate to go No. 1 overall.