Even at age 31, new Brewers starter Jakob Junis is seeking continual improvement

In his eighth year in the major leagues, Jakob Junis finally will take the ball in an opener as he squares off for the Milwaukee Brewers against Minnesota's Louie Varland on Tuesday afternoon at American Family Field.

Veteran perspective and a calm demeanor are always key that day, considering the pomp and circumstance that goes along with it, and the right-hander has no shortage of both.

"I don't really pay attention to that," he said. "I mean, it's a big deal for the crowd. Everybody gets to go to the ballpark for the first time, and for us to play in front of the home crowd is awesome. But it was just kind of the way the rotation fell, you know what I mean?

"But when I go out there I'll do my best to make a good impression that first time out."

Junis is one of three new faces in the Brewers' revamped starting rotation, one that fared well in a season-opening sweep against the New York Mets at Citi Field over the weekend.

Freddy Peralta dominated on opening day, DL Hall gutted his way through four innings in his Brewers debut and Colin Rea was his usual steady self as he bent but didn't break over a five-inning outing Sunday.

Junis, 31, is coming off a spring in which he started only three Cactus League games; Milwaukee routinely had its starters pitching games on the back fields as well to stretch out. He logged a 5.91 ERA and a WHIP of 1.22 with 10 strikeouts over 10⅔ innings but had to skip his last scheduled start due to shoulder soreness.

He did throw a successful 35-pitch bullpen session in New York as a final test, and it's all systems go for Tuesday.

Considering the Brewers' rotation depth has already been dinged – Wade Miley is on the injured list as he continues to work up to full strength and Robert Gasser has been shut down at Class AAA Nashville with an elbow issue – they'll need to continue to proceed with caution.

"I think I'm in a lot better spot than I was a week, 10 days ago," Junis said. "Feeling a lot better and ready to go. If I would have pitched (at the end of spring training) it would have been more sore, so it was definitely smart to back off and let time take its course.

"They got me on a good program in the training room to take some of the pressure off the front of the shoulder and loosened up the back – get things moving the way they're supposed to be again. We're feeling a lot better now."

Jakob Junis had best overall season, new approach with Giants

When Milwaukee signed Junis to a one-year, $7 million contract on Feb. 5, it was viewing him as someone just as comfortable starting games as coming out of the bullpen.

After five up-and-down seasons at the beginning of his career with the Kansas City Royals, spent mostly as a starter, Junis made 17 more starts for the San Francisco Giants in 2022 before coming out of the bullpen 36 times last season.

Throw in four more starts for the Giants and Junis put together his best overall season in the majors with a 4-3 record, 3.87 ERA, WHIP of 1.29 and 96 strikeouts in 86 innings. His 40 appearances were a career high.

What's interesting to note about Junis during his time with San Francisco is how his approach to pitching changed.

After relying heavily on his four-seam fastball with the Royals, Junis essentially abandoned it in favor of primarily a slider-sinker mix with an occasional changeup sprinkled in. In fact, the 62.5% usage rate on his slider last season was far and away a career high and the numbers show why: Opposing batters hit just .216 and slugged .369 against it.

"When I signed with San Francisco, they saw me as a guy that threw two-seamers (sinkers) a little bit but had a lot more potential if they could teach me the thought process behind it," Junis said. "I never knew what I was doing with it; I was just kind of grabbing a two-seam grip and throwing it and sometimes it would move and sometimes it wouldn't.

"But they told me, 'Here's what you're trying to do with the ball,' and I bought in and threw two-seamers (more than ever before). And then they said, 'We're going to help you throw a changeup, too,' and they did. My changeup's as good as it's ever been. After two years over there they definitely helped me dial in my pitch mix. The slider is the same as it's been all my career.

"But those other two pitches they definitely helped develop and hone."

Brewers' reputation for working with pitchers lured Junis to Milwaukee

And now on the wrong side of 30, Junis is seeking even more improvement. Considering Milwaukee's success at developing pitching in recent years, he believed the Brewers are just the team to be able to get even more out of him.

"That was a big reason why I signed over here. You know, I think their reputation speaks for itself," he said. "They're one of the top-tier organizations in the league and are well-known for that reason. I wanted to go somewhere I wasn't only going to be utilized the way I wanted to be utilized – I want to keep getting better.

"I'm probably on the back half of my career, but you've got to constantly be getting better to stay in this league and have success. These guys do a really good job at developing guys, obviously, and giving you feedback. They know what they're looking for.

"And it's been noticeable so far."

To both player and manager.

"When you're open for growth when you're quote, unquote, getting older as a player – 30 now is getting older – he's definitely a guy like Colin (Rea), it's exciting to have that around," Pat Murphy said. "He keeps to himself. He's quiet, unassuming. But very convicted. You can see it.

"He's a sneaky veteran."

Junis is no stranger to the Midwest, either.

Born in Arkansas, he spent the majority of his first 18 years in Rock Falls, Illinois, just south of Rockford and just over a two-hour car ride from American Family Field. He grew up as a Chicago Cubs fan who made occasional trips across the northern border into Wisconsin for youth baseball or basketball tournaments.

His parents now live outside Peoria, Illinois, in Morton (Junis and his family are now residents of Scottsdale, Arizona) and are in better logistical position to be able to see their son on a more regular basis.

"Definitely excited about me being back in the Midwest and not on the West Coast," he said. "Being able to go to St. Louis, Chicago, Milwaukee, I'll be seeing a lot more of them this year."

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This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: New Brewers starter Jakob Junis seeking continual improvement