| Jakob Junis | |
|---|---|
 Junis with theOmaha Storm Chasers in 2017 | |
| Free agent | |
| Pitcher | |
| Born: (1992-09-16)September 16, 1992 (age 33) Jacksonville, Arkansas, U.S. | |
Bats: Right Throws: Right | |
| MLB debut | |
| April 12, 2017, for the Kansas City Royals | |
| MLB statistics (through 2025 season) | |
| Win–loss record | 46–46 |
| Earned run average | 4.36 |
| Strikeouts | 768 |
Stats atBaseball Reference  | |
| Teams | |
Jakob Benjamin Lee Junis (born September 16, 1992) is an American professionalbaseballpitcher who is a free agent. He has played inMajor League Baseball (MLB) for theKansas City Royals,San Francisco Giants,Milwaukee Brewers,Cincinnati Reds, andCleveland Guardians. He made his MLB debut in 2017.
Junis attendedRock Falls High School inRock Falls, Illinois, and graduated in 2011.[1] There, he earned all-state honors in both baseball and basketball. As a senior, in basketball he averaged 19 points a game. In baseball he threw an 88–92-mile-per-hour (142–148 km/h)fastball and had a 1.10earned run average (ERA) and 93strikeouts as a pitcher, whilebatting .485 with 54runs batted in.[2][3]
TheKansas City Royals selected Junis in the 29th round of the2011 Major League Baseball draft.[4] He had committed to playcollege baseball atNorth Carolina State University as aninfielder and a pitcher, and though he was rated as a fourth round pick he fell to the 29th round because of his scholarship to North Carolina State.[5] But he signed with the Royals for a $675,000signing bonus instead of attending college.[6][7][8]
Junis made his professional debut in 2012 with theBurlington Royals with whom he went 2–2 with a 4.15 ERA in seven games (six starts). He pitched in 2013 with theIdaho Falls Chukars, posted a 2–6 record and 7.39 ERA in 13 starts, and was 8th in thePioneer League with 55 strikeouts.[1]
In 2014 he played with theLexington Legends, and had a 9–8 record and 4.30 ERA with 10 hit batsmen (5th in theSouth Atlantic League) and aWHIP of 1.28 (10th in the league) in 26 games (22 starts).[1][9] Junis pitched for theWilmington Blue Rocks (with whom he was 2nd in theCarolina League with 123 strikeouts, and third in WHIP (1.12)) andNorthwest Arkansas Naturals in 2015, where he compiled a combined 5–12 record and 3.78 ERA in 27 starts.[1][10]
He started 2016 with Northwest Arkansas, for whom he was 9-7 with a 3.25 ERA (3rd in theTexas League) and 117 strikeouts (6th in the league) in 21 starts, was 4th in the league in WHIP (1.15), and was a Texas League Mid-Season All Star and Post-Season All Star.[1][11][12] In August he was promoted to theOmaha Storm Chasers, with whom he had six starts.[1][13] In 27 combined starts between Northwest Arkansas and Omaha he was 10–10 with a 4.05 ERA, and 143 strikeouts and 34 walks in 149 innings, as he generally threw a fastball in the low-90s and occasionally slightly higher, achange-up, and acurveball.[14][5] He was named an MiLB.com Organization All Star.[11] The Royals added him to their 40-man roster after the 2016 season.[15]
Junis made his MLB debut on April 12, 2017.[16] After his debut, he was recalled and optioned a number of times before he was called up to Kansas City for the remainder of the season on August 14. In 12 starts for Omaha he was 3–5 with a 2.92 ERA, in 20 games (16 starts). For Kansas City, he compiled a 9–3 record and 4.30 ERA, as his 9 hit batsmen were 10th-most in the league.[17]
Junis began 2018 in Kansas City's starting rotation. He finished the season with a 9–12 record, acomplete game, and a 4.37 ERA in 30 starts, and was 3rd in the AL in hit batsmen (15; a team record), 8th in walks per 9 innings (2.186), and 10th in strikeouts/walk (3.814) andwild pitches (9).[18][1]
In 2019 for the Royals, Junis pitched to a 5.24 ERA with a 8.4 K/9 and 3.0 BB/9 in 175 1/3 innings across 31 starts, and was 6th in the AL with 11 hit batsmen.[19] He became the first pitcher in the major leagues to win at least nine games in each of his first three seasons sinceMasahiro Tanaka (2014–16); the last pitcher younger than Junis to do that wasGerrit Cole (2013–15).[1]
With the2020 Kansas City Royals, Junis appeared in eight games (six starts). He compiled an 0-2 record with a 6.39 ERA and 6 walks and 19 strikeouts in 25.1 innings pitched.[20] He was on the injured list twice.[1]
Junis made 16 appearances (six starts) for the Royals in 2021, posting a 5.26 ERA with 41 strikeouts in 39.1 innings of work, and was on the injured list twice.[1] His salary was $1.7 million.[21] On November 5, 2021, Junis was outrighted off of the 40-man roster, but rejected the outright assignment and elected free agency.[22]
On March 14, 2022, Junis signed a one-year $1.75 million deal with theSan Francisco Giants.[23][24] In 2022 with the Giants, he was 5-7 with a 4.42 ERA in 112 innings, as in 23 games (17 starts) he walked 25 batters and had 98 strikeouts.[25] In15+1⁄3 innings split between the Triple–ASacramento River Cats and rookie–levelArizona Complex League Giants, Junis accumulated a 7.04 ERA with 13 strikeouts.[25]
On January 13, 2023, Junis agreed to a one-year, $2.8 million contract with the Giants, avoiding salary arbitration.[26] He made 40 appearances for San Francisco in 2023, recording a 3.87 ERA with 96 strikeouts across 86 innings pitched.[27]
On February 7, 2024, Junis signed a one-year $7 million contract with theMilwaukee Brewers that contained a mutual option for a second year.[28] After one start, he was placed on the injured list with a rightshoulder impingement on April 6.[29] On April 22, Junis was hospitalized after being hit in the neck with a ball during batting practice.[30] He was transferred to the 60–day injured list on May 6.[31] Junis was activated from the injured list on June 21.[32] He made 10 appearances for Milwaukee in 2024, recording a 2.42 ERA with 19 strikeouts across 26 innings pitched.
On July 30, 2024, the Brewers traded Junis,Joey Wiemer, and cash considerations to theCincinnati Reds in exchange forFrankie Montas.[33] In 14 appearances for Cincinnati, he recorded a 2.85 ERA with 32 strikeouts over 41 innings of work. On November 1, Junis declined his share of an option for the 2025 season and became a free agent.[34]
On February 16, 2025, Junis signed a one-year, $4.5 million contract with theCleveland Guardians.[35] He elected free agency on November 2, 2025.
Junis and his wife, Brianne, have three children together.[36] They reside inScottsdale, Arizona.[1][37][38]