Nuñez adjusting to demands of being a big league catcher

Dom Nuñez entered this year ready to wash away a draining 2020.

After making his MLB debut in 2019, appearing in 16 games at the end of the season, Nuñez spent the offseason refining his swing and preparing to be a part of the Rockies again in 2020.

Nuñez, though, didn’t get that chance. COVID-19 shut down the minor league season and shortened the major league one. He was placed at the alternative training site, and also occasionally got to catch the Rockies’ bullpen sessions.But showing up every day, knowing he had no chance of being in the lineup, took a toll. Nothing came close to the experience of playing in an actual game, he said.

“It was probably one of the most challenging things I’ve ever been through,” Nuñez said.

He came into this year knowing that he had a chance to be a consistent part of the Rockies’ catching corps, along with Elías Díaz, who was signed in January. Nuñez has done just that, catching 41 games so far this season. Nuñez was primarily a shortstop in high school, but the Rockies drafted him in the sixth round in 2013 with the intention of making him their future major league catcher.

After four years in the lower levels of the minor leagues, Nuñez was promoted to Double-A in 2017. In Hartford, he got to work with Jerry Weinstein, a renowned catching coach who just so happened to be the manager that year. Things finally started to click for Nuñez behind the plate, and he started to truly trust his game calling abilities.

Now at the major league level, Nuñez is relying on that confidence. He has more information thrown at him now than ever before, and he starts his preparation early every day at home before he heads to the ballpark. He digs through video and scouting reports, but at the end of the day he still tries to rely on instincts.

“I think you can look at the numbers, and the numbers tell you a lot, but week to week hitters are different,” he said. “You have to trust your eyes. They don’t lie to you.”

The Rockies have gotten a lackluster performance from their two catchers at the plate this year, and Nuñez knows he needs to improve as a hitter. He showed off some power early on, hitting five home runs in the first month of the season. He hasn’t hit one since, and currently has a .159 batting average.

Earlier in the season, he was able to keep his shoulders even and his swing simple. But lately, his back shoulder has dropped. He’s worked on getting back to his form from the beginning of season, with a goal of hitting more line drives and striking out less. He’s struck out 58 times this season, including three times on June 18.

“I feel like I’m turning the corner, not going to lie,” he said. “It takes time.”