Jakob Junis

Jakob Junis

31-Year-Old PitcherRP
San Francisco Giants
2023 Fantasy Outlook
Junis has spent a career trying to find something to go along with his slider and his command of the strikezone, but has yet to find anything else. Kansas City was not exactly known for great pitching development in his time there, so the move to San Franciso was interesting because of their track record of turning castaways into treasure. The Giants had Junis really lean into the slider and took away his very hittable four-seamer to see what would work. The problem became his sinker was even more hittable than his four-seamer, and the changeup they gave him lacks any redeeming characteristics. Junis made 17 starts, but such a limited repertoire in both depth and effectiveness is playing with fire depending on the matchups because he historically has issues with lefties. The best outcome we can hope for here is a full-time conversion to reliever and him going Matt Wisler with the slider and throwing it 90% of the time. Until that happens, he is not worth rostering. Read Past Outlooks
RANKSFrom Preseason
#592
ADP
$Signed a one-year, $2.8 million contract with the Giants in January of 2023.
Works four innings in bulk relief
PSan Francisco Giants
September 16, 2023
Junis allowed two runs (one earned) on four hits and one walk while striking out five batters over four innings in bulk relief against the Rockies in Game 2 of a doubleheader Saturday.
ANALYSIS
Scott Alexander started for San Francisco and got two outs before Junis entered in the first frame with a runner on second base. Junis surrendered a single to allow the inherited runner to score, and he yielded two runs of his own in the third inning before departing with two outs in the fifth. The right-hander has bounced between opening and pitching in bulk relief lately, tossing more than one frame in each of his past five outings. However, he hasn't pitched more than four innings in any appearance this season, and he's recorded just one decision -- a win -- over his past 22 games despite pitching to a solid 3.47 ERA, 1.17 WHIP and 51:5 K:BB over 49.1 frames during that span.
Read More News
Pitching Stats
Loading Pitching Stats...
2023
2022
2021
2020
2019
2018
2017
2023 MLB Game Log
Calculate Stats Over Time
Just click on any two dates.
Scoring
FanDuel
DraftKings
Yahoo DFS
Loading Pitching Game Log...
2022 MLB Game Log
Calculate Stats Over Time
Just click on any two dates.
Scoring
FanDuel
DraftKings
Yahoo DFS
Loading Pitching Game Log...
2021 MLB Game Log
Calculate Stats Over Time
Just click on any two dates.
Scoring
FanDuel
DraftKings
Yahoo DFS
Loading Pitching Game Log...
2020 MLB Game Log
Calculate Stats Over Time
Just click on any two dates.
Scoring
FanDuel
DraftKings
Yahoo DFS
Loading Pitching Game Log...
2019 MLB Game Log
Calculate Stats Over Time
Just click on any two dates.
Scoring
FanDuel
DraftKings
Yahoo DFS
Loading Pitching Game Log...
2018 MLB Game Log
Calculate Stats Over Time
Just click on any two dates.
Scoring
FanDuel
DraftKings
Yahoo DFS
Loading Pitching Game Log...
2017 MLB Game Log
Calculate Stats Over Time
Just click on any two dates.
Scoring
FanDuel
DraftKings
Yahoo DFS
Loading Pitching Game Log...
Minor League Game Log
Calculate Stats Over Time
Just click on any two dates.
Loading Minor League Pitching Game Log...
Pitching Appearances Breakdown
Average Pitch Count
35
Last 10 Games
38
Last 5 Games
42
How many pitches does Jakob Junis generally throw?
 
1-10
 
11-20
 
21-30
 
31-40
 
41-50
 
51-60
 
61-70
 
71-80
 
81-90
 
91-100
 
101-110
 
111-120
 
121+
 
1-10
 
11-20
 
21-30
 
31-40
 
41-50
 
51-60
 
61-70
 
71-80
 
81-90
 
91-100
 
101-110
 
111-120
 
121+
 
1-10
 
11-20
 
21-30
 
31-40
 
41-50
 
51-60
 
61-70
 
71-80
 
81-90
 
91-100
 
101-110
 
111-120
 
121+
What part of the game does Jakob Junis generally pitch?
 
 
 
1st
 
 
 
2nd
 
 
 
3rd
 
 
 
4th
 
 
 
5th
 
 
 
6th
 
 
 
7th
 
 
 
8th
 
 
 
9th
 
Extra
 
 
 
1st
 
 
 
2nd
 
 
 
3rd
 
 
 
4th
 
 
 
5th
 
 
 
6th
 
 
 
7th
 
 
 
8th
 
 
 
9th
 
Extra
 
 
 
1st
 
 
 
2nd
 
 
 
3rd
 
 
 
4th
 
 
 
5th
 
 
 
6th
 
 
 
7th
 
 
 
8th
 
 
 
9th
 
Extra
% Games Reaching Innings Threshold
% Games By Number of Innings Pitched
Left/Right Pitching Splits
Since 2021
 
 
-13%
BAA vs RHP
2023
 
 
-2%
BAA vs LHP
2022
 
 
-23%
BAA vs RHP
2021
 
 
-11%
BAA vs RHP
BAA Batters K BB H 2B 3B HR
Since 2021vs Left .293 445 92 30 119 32 3 15
Since 2021vs Right .254 563 142 28 133 30 1 17
2023vs Left .266 123 27 11 29 10 1 4
2023vs Right .271 239 68 10 60 12 0 8
2022vs Left .307 228 44 11 65 17 2 7
2022vs Right .235 250 54 14 55 16 1 6
2021vs Left .294 94 21 8 25 5 0 4
2021vs Right .261 74 20 4 18 2 0 3
More Splits View More Split Stats
Home/Away Pitching Splits
Since 2021
 
 
-20%
ERA on Road
2023
 
 
-26%
ERA on Road
2022
 
 
-9%
ERA at Home
2021
 
 
-60%
ERA on Road
ERA WHIP IP W L SV K/9 BB/9 HR/9
Since 2021Home 4.88 1.35 118.0 4 6 0 9.5 2.1 1.4
Since 2021Away 3.89 1.28 118.0 7 8 1 8.4 2.3 1.0
2023Home 4.62 1.32 37.0 0 1 0 11.4 2.2 1.2
2023Away 3.40 1.28 47.2 4 2 1 9.1 2.3 1.3
2022Home 4.21 1.32 57.2 2 3 0 8.4 2.0 1.2
2022Away 4.64 1.27 54.1 3 4 0 7.3 2.0 0.8
2021Home 6.94 1.46 23.1 2 2 0 8.9 2.3 2.3
2021Away 2.81 1.31 16.0 0 2 0 10.1 3.4 0.6
More Splits View More Split Stats
Stat Review
How does Jakob Junis compare to other relievers?
This section compares his stats with all relief pitcher seasons from the previous three seasons (minimum 30 innings)*. The bar represents the player's percentile rank. For example, if the bar is halfway across, then the player falls into the 50th percentile for that stat and it would be considered average.

* Exit Velocity, Barrels/BBE %, Balls Hit 95+ MPH %, and Spin Rate are benchmarked against 2019 data (min 30 IP). See here for more exit velocity/barrels stats plus an explanation of current limitations with that data set.
  • K/BB
    Strikeout to walk ratio.
  • K/9
    Average strikeouts per nine innings.
  • BB/9
    Average walks per nine innings.
  • HR/9
    Average home runs allowed per nine innings.
  • Fastball
    Average fastball velocity.
  • ERA
    Earned run average. The average earned runs allowed per nine innings.
  • WHIP
    Walks plus hits per inning pitched.
  • BABIP
    Batting average on balls in play. Measures how many balls in play against a pitcher go for hits.
  • GB/FB
    Groundball to flyball ratio. The higher the number, the more likely a pitcher is to induce groundballs.
  • Left On Base
    The percentage of base runners that a pitcher strands on base over the course of a season.
  • Exit Velocity
    The speed of the baseball as it comes off the bat, immediately after a batter makes contact.
  • Barrels/BBE
    The percentage of batted ball events resulting in a Barrel. A Barrel is a batted ball with similar exit velocity and launch angle to past ones that led to a minimum .500 batting average and 1.500 slugging percentage.
  • Spin Rate
    Spin Rate is the rate of spin on a baseball after it is released. It is measured in revolutions per minute (rpm).
  • Balls Hit 95+ MPH
    The percentage of batted balls hit that met or exceeded the 95 MPH threshold.
  • Swinging Strike
    The percentage of pitches that result in a swing and a miss.
K/BB
4.52
 
K/9
10.1
 
BB/9
2.2
 
HR/9
1.3
 
Fastball
93.8 mph
 
ERA
3.93
 
WHIP
1.30
 
BABIP
.349
 
GB/FB
1.33
 
Left On Base
73.0%
 
Exit Velocity
81.5 mph
 
Barrels/BBE
5.6%
 
Spin Rate
2268 rpm
 
Balls Hit 95+ MPH
23.0%
 
Swinging Strike
11.6%
 
Advanced Pitching Stats
Loading Advanced Pitching Stats...
Defensive Stats
Loading MLB Defensive Stats...
Stats Vs Today's Lineup
Want more matchup stats?
Loading Matchup Stats...
Our full team depth charts are reserved for RotoWire subscribers.
Subscribe Now
Recent RotoWire Articles Featuring Jakob Junis See More
Weekly Pitcher Rankings: Lonely at the Top
35 days ago
Todd Zola has his Weekly Pitcher Rankings, with Zac Gallen not only on top, but facing a tempting two-start week.
DraftKings MLB: Monday Breakdown
96 days ago
Dan Marcus delivers his picks for Monday’s DraftKings slate, turning to a Rangers stack against the White Sox.
Weekly Pitcher Rankings: Is the Worst Yet to Come?
98 days ago
Todd Zola winds up and delivers the Weekly Pitcher Rankings, giving warning signs for the summer and highlighting a Yankees ace at the top.
Weekly Pitcher Rankings: More Nothing Than Double
112 days ago
Todd Zola toes the rubber with his Weekly Pitcher Rankings for fantasy baseball, starting with Toronto's Kevin Gausman taking the mound twice at home against a pair of tough opponents.
Spring Training Job Battles: National League
211 days ago
Erik Halterman covers every NL job up for grabs during spring training, including the shortstop job in Atlanta where Vaughn Grissom likely will battle it out with Orlando Arcia.
Past Fantasy Outlooks
2021
2020
2019
2018
The Royals have a type of pitcher they like, as evidenced by Brad Keller and Junis. Throw fastballs and sliders, and we'll try to see what happens. That has been the case with Junis, and the slider is easily his best pitch. He leveraged it successfully in both 2018 and 2019, throwing it with a high degree of success to hide his rather hittable fastball. Do whatever you will with the small sample of 2020, but the fact remains Junis was getting strikeouts despite his limitations in other seasons. The main issue is his repertoire leaves him susceptible to lefties who have little trouble hitting him, so he attempts to pitch around them and get to the next righty in the lineup. He can contribute strikeouts to your bottom line, but they'll come at the expense of your ratios. He does not walk many, but the non-slider offerings are too hittable.
After being a league average pitcher for a couple of seasons, Junis fell back last year, exhibiting poorer control while allowing harder contact. The result was a bloated 1.43 WHIP along with a lofty 5.43 ERA. The damage could have been worse, except Junis did a slightly better job keeping the ball in the yard despite the reduced-drag ball. Junis features a 92-mph fastball, slider, sinker and change. His slider is his most effective pitch as he throws it 10-mph slower than his heater, whereas his sinker is just a tick below 92 and his changeup is a scant seven-mph slower. Junis' swinging-strike rate has increased the last two seasons, but the overall leap from 8.9% to 9.8% isn't enough to significantly improve his strikeout rate. Junis could revert to 2017-2018 levels, and a league average hurler can be an asset, especially in formats facilitating streaming. However, the days of hoping for more are over.
There has been a push to have pitchers throw fewer fastballs and use their secondary pitches more frequently. It goes against the mantra of getting ahead early with fastballs and putting guys away with non-strikes, but if there were ever a pitcher for this theory, it is Junis. He has a gorgeous slider that looks like a confused Florida tourist as it tries to find the exit for Disney World. It stops, looks around and changes directions without a turn signal. The problem for Junis is that it is his only good pitch, as the rest of his stuff grades out as below league average. This is why he gave up 32 homers in 30 starts while pitching in a division that had just one team with a winning record. The slider is so good that his splits are not as bad as one would assume them to be, but the home runs are a problem that offsets what he brings to the table with a 16.0 K-BB%.
With Junis, the sum is greater than the parts. He doesn't throw especially hard, averaging just over 91 mph with his fastball. His slider has good sweeping movement, but it does not result in a whole lot of swings out of the zone (8.9 percent swinging-strike rate) or groundballs (40.1 percent groundball rate). However, by commanding those two pitches and mixing in occasional curveballs and changeups, Junis found a good amount of success in his debut with the Royals, especially in the second half (3.55 ERA, 1.09 WHIP, 52:9 K:BB). It's impossible to project him for a 3.5 percent walk rate -- his post-ASG mark -- over the course of a full season, but Junis has a strong track record of control in the minor leagues, and workload is not a big concern after he totaled 169.1 innings between the majors and Triple-A last season. He should have a rotation spot out of camp, and the home park is a big plus in his favor.
More Fantasy News
Covers most innings Tuesday
PSan Francisco Giants
September 6, 2023
Junis allowed two runs on four hits and one walk while striking out two over 2.2 innings during Tuesday's 11-8 loss to the Cubs. He did not factor in the decision.
ANALYSIS
Subscribe now to instantly reveal our take on this news.
Getting start Thursday
PSan Francisco Giants
August 31, 2023
Junis will start for the Giants on Thursday at San Diego, Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area reports.
ANALYSIS
Subscribe now to instantly reveal our take on this news.
Snags win Wednesday
PSan Francisco Giants
August 23, 2023
Junis (4-3) allowed one hit and struck out one without walking a batter over one scoreless inning to earn the extra-inning win over the Phillies on Wednesday.
ANALYSIS
Subscribe now to instantly reveal our take on this news.
Struggles as opener
PSan Francisco Giants
August 20, 2023
Junis allowed two unearned runs on two hits and struck out one without walking a batter over 1.2 innings Sunday versus Atlanta. He did not factor in the decision.
ANALYSIS
Subscribe now to instantly reveal our take on this news.
Making start Sunday
PSan Francisco Giants
August 19, 2023
Junis will start Sunday's series finale in Atlanta, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.
ANALYSIS
Subscribe now to instantly reveal our take on this news.