Jakob

Junis

Junis passed his physical after agreeing to terms on Sunday. The 33-year-old finished with ERAs of 2.69 for the Brewers and Reds in 2024 and 2.97 for the Guardians last season, even though his velocity and strikeout rates have both dropped. It would have been interesting to see him as a full-time starter a few years back, but middle relief is where he belongs now.

The 33-year-old hurler played a pivotal role in the Guardians’ bullpen in 2025, registering a strong 2.97 ERA, 1.23 WHIP and a 55/18 K/BB ratio across 66 2/3 innings in 57 appearances. The expectation is that he’ll once again function in a middle relief role with the Rangers, which limits his overall appeal from a fantasy perspective.

There’s quite a bit to like about Junis as a reliever, but he’s just not up to speed right now after signing on Feb. 15. HIs velocity is currently down 1.5-2 mph from last year, and he gave up a homer to Kevin Pillar tonight. Odds are that he’ll eventually have some AL-only value, but possibly not at the start of the year.

Junis was outstanding in 2024 with the Brewers and Reds as seen in a 51/8 K/BB and 2.69 ERA, and the 32-year-old right-hander will be a multi-inning option for Cleveland in 2025. Whether that’s as a starter or out of the bullpen remains unknown, but either way, he’s a better ‘real-life’ option than a fantasy one.

The 32-year-old hurler did a terrific job out of the bullpen for both the Brewers and Reds during the 2024 season, compiling a 2.69 ERA, 0.85 WHIP and a 51/8 K/BB ratio across 67 innings of work. It is not immediately clear if the Guardians plan to deploy Junis as a starter or reliever, but given his success out of the bullpen they may want to keep him in that role.

Junis pitches 67 innings in 2024 between the Brewers and Reds, making six starts in 24 appearances. He posted a 2.69 ERA overall with a 0.85 WHIP and 51/8 K/BB ratio. There’s no indication if the White Sox would view Junis as a starter or a reliever, but his ability to go multiple innings out of the bullpen would be a major boost to a starting rotation that figures to be one of the youngest in baseball next year if the team gives a shot to guys like Drew Thorpe, Noah Schultz, and Sean Burke.

Junis will receive a $3 million buyout and will hit the open market. The right-hander excelled as a full-time member of the bullpen in 2024, compiling a brilliant 2.69 ERA, 0.85 WHIP and a 51/8 K/BB ratio over 67 innings between the Brewers and Reds. Given his success in 2024, he won’t have any trouble finding a landing spot for the 2025 season.

Junis gave up four hits, walked one and struck out three. While Junis has pitched well in a handful of starts for the Reds this year, his 3.88 xFIP suggests this is mostly noise. Don’t count on the 32-year-old right-hander to carry this 2.69 ERA into a breakout season in 2025.

Junis gave up two hits, walked none and struck out six. It was another solid start for Junis, who pitched well enough to win but the Reds scored only one run on the night. He’s allowed two runs in 19 innings over four starts for Cincinnati. Junis has a 2.61 ERA, 0.84 WHIP and 48 strikeouts in 62 innings on the year. The 32-year-old right-hander is set to face the Guardians on the road next week.

They’ve all been fairly short after he previously spent the year as a reliever, but Junis has done a great job in all three of his starts for the Reds, allowing a total of one run in 13 innings. We still wouldn’t say it makes him a great play in mixed leagues, particularly since he’s due to face the Braves next.