Trio makes All-Star roster the Rays' way

ST. PETERSBURG -- When the American League All-Star team assembles in the clubhouse at Coors Field tonight, Mike Zunino, Joey Wendle and Andrew Kittredge won’t be the most famous players in the room -- despite manager Kevin Cash joking that MLB requested Wendle, a late addition to the AL roster, as the “next-best” option to replace future Hall of Famer Mike Trout.

Kittredge was also a late add, being named to the roster on Monday as a replacement player after posting a sparkling 1.47 ERA with 43 strikeouts in 43 innings thus far this season, mostly out of the bullpen.

The catcher, infielder and reliever might even get lost in the public eye sometimes on a Tampa Bay roster that includes longtime center fielder Kevin Kiermaier, postseason heroes Randy Arozarena and Brett Phillips, former All-Stars Austin Meadows and Brandon Lowe, top prospect Wander Franco, fan favorite Ji-Man Choi and a bunch of high-end arms.

But what the three bring to the table is not lost on the Rays’ leadership, nor on their teammates. Zunino and Wendle, especially, have earned this recognition by being themselves and sticking to their strengths, playing pivotal but perhaps under-the-radar roles in Tampa Bay’s recent success, while Kittredge is on his way to delivering his strongest season yet as a member of the bullpen corps in his fifth year with the Rays.

• MLB All-Star Game presented by Mastercard: Tuesday on FOX

“When you look across the field, there's not a whole lot of flash, but the job gets done. And it gets done the right way,” said veteran starter Rich Hill, who’s in his first season with the Rays. “It's kind of like, I don't know, if you're building a house, you want it done the right way, right? So those guys would be pretty good contractors.”

Both Zunino and Wendle said they were humbled by their first career All-Star nods, looking forward to sharing the experience with their families, each other and Tampa Bay’s coaching staff. They have earned the right to enjoy the All-Star treatment and the perks that come along with the title, including a red-carpet arrival event on Tuesday.

Neither seemed all that sure they’d enjoy that particular part of their time in the spotlight, though, fittingly enough. Wendle quipped that he’s walked on red carpet before “in some capacity. But never, like, a red carpet.”

“I'll likely just sneak in the background,” Zunino added. “Red carpet's not quite my speed.”

Long time coming
There’s a game that Rays relievers play, right-hander Ryan Thompson said recently. Whenever someone wants to call a home run, he must throw his hat. Whenever Zunino’s spot in the lineup comes around, it looks like the end of a graduation ceremony out in the bullpen.

“It seems like our hats [are] flying all over the place when he comes up to the plate,” Thompson said.

It’s a pretty safe bet, to be fair. Zunino launched 19 homers in 212 plate appearances during the first half. Few players this year are hitting the ball as hard or as far as him. His exit velocity has topped 110 mph 12 times this season, maxing out at 117.3 mph on a May 14 homer off David Peterson. And he’s hit three of his home runs 450 feet or more, including a 472-foot moonshot against Jordan Montgomery on May 11.

The 30-year-old catcher’s barrel rate is the best in the Majors this season, according to Statcast. Some fans might shake their heads at his sub-.200 average, but he’s found ways to contribute at the plate with a power-heavy .198/.288/.529 slash line and team-leading .817 OPS that led his fellow players to elect him to the All-Star Game.

“Those are the things you coach for, to see him and his family excited, and know how much he's been through both good and bad and the inconsistencies from being rushed to the big leagues, that he finally let his talent show and everybody's recognized it,” Rays hitting coach Chad Mottola said. “Just happy for him.”

Zunino and Mottola have worked for nearly two years to get his swing into a place where he could make an impact like this. Their overhaul began after the 2019 season, when he hit just .165 with a .544 OPS, and started to produce results as four of his nine hits last postseason were homers. After declining his club option last October, the Rays re-signed Zunino in December for a lower guaranteed salary, understanding his value behind the plate and the improvement that might be coming offensively.

It’s happening this year, a product of Zunino’s good relationship with Mottola and his comfort with who he is as a hitter. Rushed to the Majors with the Mariners in 2013, Zunino spent his time in Seattle and his first year with Tampa Bay constantly making quick-fix swing changes to boost his average or improve his power. He wanted something more consistent, even if it took time to find.

“I knew that if I could do something and try to repeat it as many times as possible, maybe I could have some success,” Zunino said. “I'm really not worried about anything that the ball is doing off my bat. I'm just really focused in this little doorway that I'm in, and it's taken nine years to get there.”

These days, you can spot him in the batting cage or on the field working one-on-one with Mottola four hours before first pitch. He’s focused more on the feel and mechanics of his swing rather than chasing results, the kind of mature mindset you’d expect from a veteran in his ninth big league season.

“I got to a point where I wanted to give this a shot, because I'd tried just about everything else,” he said, grinning. “I've learned that. I wish I had learned that as I've told that to pitchers, and I wish I had learned that when I told it to guys that I've been talking to. It's just taken me a little longer. A lot of times you're more focused on other things instead of being able to self-reflect and do that.”

The Rays way
One area Zunino always understood he could make a difference was behind the plate. As soon as he got called up, he said, someone with the Mariners told him he could extend his career by being a good defensive catcher.

So Zunino dove all in and put his emphasis on his defense, which ultimately made him a perfect match for a Rays team that emphasizes run prevention as much as – or more than – run production. Mottola referred to Zunino as both “very underrated” and “really undervalued” for what he does defensively.

“The amount of work he puts in, everyone kind of knows what he is able to do behind the plate,” left-hander Ryan Yarbrough said. “I think it's just great that everyone's finally recognizing it, because we've obviously known what he's meant to this club for ourselves.”

Zunino’s pitch-framing is among the best in baseball, as he’s tied for second with five runs from extra strikes this season, according to Statcast. He’s tied for third among catchers with five Defensive Runs Saved. Pitchers and coaches praise Zunino for his preparation, knowledge of opposing hitters, game-calling and ability to handle the Rays’ large number and wide variety of arms.

While the Rays don’t have an All-Star representative from the pitching staff with an AL-best 3.50 ERA, maybe it’s appropriate that the catcher who guides them earned his first trip to the Midsummer Classic.

“To be able to be honored for that and recognized for it is honestly bigger than anything else,” Zunino said. “I know that at times I can help the team with the bat. But I also know, if I do my job with the pitchers on the mound and behind the plate, we have a great chance of winning, too.”

You’ll hear Wendle speak similarly about his focus on defense. The 31-year-old is having a solid year at the plate -- hitting .275/.336/.450 with seven homers and 21 doubles with his typical no-frills, no-batting-gloves style -- and his early hot streak as the Rays' "Big Bopper" carried their lineup while many of his teammates were scuffling. But he’s best known for being a versatile and valuable defensive infielder.

Wendle leads the Rays with 2.6 WAR this season, and he represents so much of what Tampa Bay has done well in recent years. He was picked up in a savvy trade with the A’s in December 2017, much like Zunino was acquired from the Mariners 11 months later. He’s not a household name. He’s a good teammate, willing to move around the infield to accommodate other players. He plays second base, third base and shortstop and fields them all well, totaling four Outs Above Average and six DRS this season.

“I think it's cool just to kind of see defense get recognized,” Wendle said. “It's cool for me because it's something that I've always had a passion for. Even when I was a little kid, I used to like taking ground balls more I liked taking batting practice. In hindsight, maybe I should have flipped it around.”

Actually, the Rays wouldn’t have it any other way.

“Joey, he kind of embodies what we're about as much as any player,” Cash said. “Versatile. Just a guy that's kind of had the ups and downs, has made the most of whatever opportunity is presented. And 'Z' on the other side, both of them with their defense being a main driver for how special they are to us.”