Florida Gators

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- Tampa Bay Rays catcher Mike Zunino, a first-time American League All-Star, said the University of Florida provided the foundation for him to achieve his baseball dreams.

"Being a Gator was probably the best three years of my life,'' said Zunino, 30. "Coming out of high school, I actually thought I was ready (for professional baseball). I was gung-ho and thought I could jump right into the minor-league grind. But getting to college was the best thing that could've happened.

"I learned about the 5:30 a.m. runs, the workouts, the multiple practices, balancing academics. It really matured me quickly. By my junior year, I was in such a better spot. I wouldn't trade those years for anything. Whatever I am in terms of a ballplayer and work ethic, it started at Florida.''

Zunino, who lives in the Gainesville area with his wife and two children, is excited about participating in Tuesday night's All-Star Game at Coors Field in Denver. With the Rays being defending league champions, Manager Kevin Cash will oversee the AL All-Star team, so Zunino figures to see plenty of action.

Nobody appreciates Zunino's value more than Cash, a former major-league catcher.

"Pure and simple, Mike Zunino helps us win games,'' Cash said. "I'm so excited that he was selected because he is so deserving.

"He works so well with every pitcher and his defensive skills are elite. We talk about how hard hitting is right now with the amount of outstanding pitchers and the stuff they feature. I think blocking (errant pitches) is right behind it, being able to stop it with the electric stuff every guy seems to have. He's just a wall back there.''

It was a quality that Zunino relished when he first became a full-time catcher at Cape Coral Mariner High School, then at UF.

"Catching is a grind, but I love it,'' Zunino said. "It's not for everyone. When you get into the dog days of summer, your body can really get beaten up. But it has helped me get to where I wanted to go.'' With the Gators, Zunino was SEC Player of the Year and a three-time College World Series participant (his father Greg, now a scout with the Cincinnati Reds, played in the 1980 CWS with California-Berkeley).

Zunino was a much-decorated college player, earning the Golden Spikes Award, the Dick Howser Trophy and the Johnny Bench Award. In the 2012 amateur draft, the Seattle Mariners made Zunino the third overall selection, still the highest pick for a UF player.

After five major-league seasons with the Mariners, Zunino was traded to the Rays as part of a four-player deal on Nov. 8, 2018. Zunino had produced seasons with 22, 25 and 20 home runs, but defense is the quality that attracted Tampa Bay's interest.

Zunino batted .161 in his first two years with the Rays, but he had four homers during the 2020 postseason, which helped earn him a one-year, $2-million contract (with a 2022 club option) after he had become a free agent.

This season, Zunino's batting average is at .198, but he has 19 homers, 37 RBI and a substantial .821 OPS (on-base percentage plus slugging average).

"I've never really played with somebody who consistently hits the ball as hard as he has,'' said Rays infielder Joey Wendle, a fellow AL All-Star. "The way the ball jumps off his bat is pretty special.''

"One-hundred percent, we love Zunino,'' Rays relief pitcher Ryan Thompson said. "Every time Zunino hits one 9,000 feet, we're all so excited. When you have a catcher that good behind the dish, you don't really expect him to put up that much (offense). It would be great if he did. But if Zunino hit .180 with two jacks (homers) all year, you'd be like, 'Yeah, OK, he's still awesome.' The fact that he's hitting homers and putting runs on the board, it's extra special.''

For Zunino, the power turnaround has been gratifying and he's grateful for remaining with the Rays. The All-Star selection has justified that faith.

"It means a lot that the Rays believed in what I was doing,'' Zunino said. "I felt like I was making strides, although sometimes the (offensive) results don't depict that. The postseason gave me confidence and I want to build on that. It took the pressure off, so now I'm just playing and competing.

"The window to play this game is too short to drag your feet. This game will kick you in the teeth more than it will give back. I have been through bad stretches. I have been optioned. I have been traded. I know how to grind. We have so much young talent and I can bring something extra to these guys, more than the numbers show, that might shorten some tough experiences that were a little longer for me. It's hard to put a label on that quality.''

Zunino said he's eager to take in every moment at the All-Star Game, where he will get to work with some of baseball's best pitchers. After that, the focus will return to getting his Rays back to the World Series.

There's even more to anticipate.

"Florida Gator football,'' Zunino said with a smile. "I love it and can't wait to see what they'll do this season. The Gator roots run very deep. We make our (offseason) home in Gainesville and we love the community.

"The Gators put me in a great position, so I'll always be grateful. I want them to do well in every sport and I follow them avidly. At the same time, I want to represent the school in a first-class manner and make all the Gators proud.''

As an All-Star Game participant, Zunino has made certain of that.