Free Agent Profile: Jakob Junis, RP

Jakob Junis, RP

Position: RP B/T: R/R
Age: 33 (9/16/92)

2025 Traditional Stats: 4-1, 2.97 ERA, 1.23 WHIP, 55 SO, 18 BB, 66 2/3 IP, 57 G
2025 Advanced Stats: 141 ERA+, 20.1 K%, 6.6 BB%, 4.09 xERA, 3.45 FIP, 4.21 xFIP, 0.6 fWAR, 0.9 bWAR

Rundown

Junis turned in a solid year in Cleveland and made the postseason for the first time playing for his fifth franchise in nine years. It was the first season he didn’t make a start, though he’s been used often as an effective multi-inning reliever for three years. He threw two innings or more nine times in 2025 and in eight of those outings he didn’t give up a run.

He has relied on good control (6% walk rate over 847 career innings), getting the most use last year from a sinker and slider that he threw more than 70% of the time. His offspeed run value, per Baseball Savant, was in the 92nd percentile. His fastball, which averaged 91 mph, ranked in the 20th percentile for run value, which could explain why he used it on only 8 percent of his deliveries.

Junis was a starter for 89 of 105 appearances during the first five years of his career in Kansas City. He made 30 starts in 2018 (4.37 ERA) and 31 in 2019 (5.24 ERA).

He then showed the ability to handle the swingman role at stops in San Francisco, Milwaukee and Cincinnati. In 2024, the Brewers dealt him and outfielder Joey Wiemer at the deadline to the Reds for Frankie Montas. That year his control was on another level. He walked eight in 67 innings.

Contract

He earned $4.5 million on a one-year deal with the Guardians last season. He’d be in line for a similar contract. A 29th round pick of the Royals in 2011 out of Rock Falls Township (Ill.) High School, he’s earned $18.8 million for his career.

Recommendation: Try to Sign

He would be a nice addition to the bullpen, which may be called upon often in 2026. The Mets were third in MLB in bullpen innings last year as Sean Manaea, Kodai Senga and Clay Holmes pitched seven full innings a combined two times. It is not necessarily bad to lead the league in bullpen innings (the Dodgers were first), but if the Mets are going to go that route, they should add quality depth beyond Devin Williams and Luke Weaver.

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