Zack Gelof Bio
Zachary Dunn Gelof, known professionally as Zack Gelof, is an American professional baseball second baseman for the Athletics of Major League Baseball (MLB). Born on October 19, 1999, in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, he bats and throws right-handed and wears jersey number 20 for the Athletics. He was selected by the Oakland Athletics in the second round of the 2021 MLB draft and made his major league debut on July 14, 2023, quickly establishing himself as one of the franchise’s most promising young power-speed players.
Gelof played college baseball at the University of Virginia, where he was a three-year starter and an All-Tournament selection at the 2021 College World Series. He represented Team Israel in the 2023 World Baseball Classic and has been recognized as one of the most dynamic young infielders in the American League.
Early Life and Background
Zachary Dunn Gelof was born on October 19, 1999, in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware. He is the son of Kelly and Adam Gelof, both of whom are attorneys who married in 1996 after graduating from law school. His paternal grandfather received a Purple Heart as a tank commander while fighting in Europe during World War II, and his paternal grandmother served as the president of Congregation Beth Sholom in Dover, Delaware.
Gelof grew up attending Hebrew school at the Seaside Jewish Community in Rehoboth Beach. When he made his major league debut in 2023, he became the 17th Jewish player to appear in an MLB game since 1900. He is the older brother of Jake Gelof, who played third base alongside him at Cape Henlopen High School and the University of Virginia before being drafted in the second round of the 2023 MLB draft by the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Path to Baseball
Gelof attended Cape Henlopen High School in Lewes, Delaware, where he served as class president for each of his four years. He played every game of the high school baseball team’s four seasons, batting .465 as a senior shortstop and pitcher while leading the state of Delaware in hits, runs, and home runs. He was named the 2018 Delaware Gatorade Player of the Year and finished as Delaware’s all-time leader in runs scored and stolen bases.
He was selected in the 38th round of the 2018 MLB draft by the Cleveland Indians but opted not to sign. Gelof also starred as a soccer player at Cape Henlopen, finishing his career as Delaware’s leading goal scorer from 2015 to 2018. He graduated with a 4.02 GPA and spent the summer after his senior year playing collegiate baseball for the Brockton Rox.
Zack Gelof Career
Virginia Cavaliers (2019–2021)
Gelof played three seasons of college baseball at the University of Virginia as an economics major in the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC). As a freshman in 2019, he started all 56 games at third base and batted .313/.377/.396. His sophomore year in 2020 was cut short by the coronavirus pandemic, but he still led the ACC with a .349/.469/.746 slash line and was named a Collegiate Baseball Second Team All-American.
In his junior season in 2021, Gelof batted .312/.393/.485 and led the ACC in hits with 81. Virginia advanced to the 2021 College World Series, where Gelof was named the third baseman on the All-Tournament Team after hitting .583. He entered the draft that summer as one of the top college position players in the country.
Minor Leagues (2021–2023)
The Oakland Athletics selected Gelof with the 60th overall pick in the second round of the 2021 MLB draft, and he signed for a $1,157,400 bonus. He began his professional career in the Rookie-level Arizona Complex League before quickly advancing to Low-A Stockton, where he batted .298/.393/.548, and finished the season with Triple-A Las Vegas at age 22. Across three levels in 2021, he combined to bat .333/.422/.565 with seven home runs and 13 stolen bases.
In 2022, Gelof missed nearly seven weeks with a torn labrum but still hit 13 home runs for Double-A Midland and slashed .257/.316/.714 in a brief Triple-A stint. He played in the 2022 Arizona Fall League for the Mesa Solar Sox. He entered 2023 as the Athletics’ third-ranked prospect, and after batting .304/.401/.529 with 20 stolen bases in Triple-A, he was promoted to the major leagues in mid-July.
Athletics (2023–Present)
Gelof made his MLB debut on July 14, 2023, against the Houston Astros and hit his first major league home run eight days later off Ryne Stanek. He set a series of Oakland franchise rookie records, becoming the fastest player in Athletics history to hit six home runs, then 10 home runs, while also reaching 33 extra-base hits in his first 60 games. He was named American League Rookie of the Month for August 2023 and finished his debut season batting .267/.337/.504 with 14 home runs and 14 stolen bases in 69 games at second base.
In 2024, Gelof batted .211/.270/.362 across 138 games with 17 home runs and 25 stolen bases, becoming the third player in Athletics history to record at least 10 home runs and 10 stolen bases in each of his first two major league seasons. He led all American League second basemen in putouts and range factor per game while earning $740,000 in salary.
Driving Style and Strengths
Gelof is widely regarded as a plus-plus runner with above-average raw power, combining speed and strength in a way few infielders in the league can match. He has shown strong plate discipline throughout his development and grades out as a plus defender at second base, with the athleticism to move around the diamond as his career progresses.
Notable Events and Milestones
Gelof became the first player in the Modern Era (since 1900) to hit at least eight home runs and steal at least six bases in his first 25 major league games. He set the Athletics franchise record for the fastest player to 10 home runs and was named the All-Star third baseman of the 2021 College World Series after a .583 tournament performance.
Zack Gelof Career Wins
Zack Gelof has compiled impressive win totals across the college, international, and minor league levels. He was named the 2018 Delaware Gatorade Player of the Year and earned multiple All-American honors during his three seasons at the University of Virginia. He also represented Team Israel in the 2023 World Baseball Classic.
Virginia Cavaliers Highlights
During his three-year career at Virginia, Gelof earned Second Team All-ACC honors as a junior and was named to the 2021 College World Series All-Tournament Team. He finished among the ACC leaders in hits, runs, doubles, and total bases while helping the Cavaliers reach the College World Series for the first time since 2015.
Other Wins and Performances
In summer collegiate baseball, Gelof batted .349 for the Kalamazoo Growlers and .364 for the High Point-Thomasville HiToms, ranking among league leaders in stolen bases and triples. He has been recognized as a Top-100 MLB prospect by MLB.com, Fangraphs, and Baseball America at various points during his climb through the minors.
Zack Gelof Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Gelof comes from a close-knit, academically accomplished family. Both of his parents, Adam and Kelly Gelof, are practicing attorneys, and his paternal grandfather was a decorated World War II tank commander who received a Purple Heart. His paternal grandmother served as president of Congregation Beth Sholom in Dover, Delaware, and Gelof himself attended Hebrew school growing up.
Personal Life
Zack’s younger brother, Jake Gelof, played baseball at Cape Henlopen High School and the University of Virginia before being drafted by the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2023. In November 2023, Zack and Jake created the Gelof Brothers Foundation to support youth development, hosting an inaugural youth sports camp for children ages 8 to 13 at Cape Henlopen High School.
2025 Season Performance
The 2025 season proved to be a difficult and injury-shortened campaign for Zack Gelof. On March 23, 2025, it was announced that he would miss the beginning of the season due to a right hamate bone fracture that required surgery. He was activated from the injured list for his season debut on July 4 and appeared in 30 games for the Athletics, batting .174/.230/.272 with two home runs and seven RBIs while playing exclusively second base.
On September 20, Gelof was placed on the injured list with a dislocated left shoulder, and he was later announced to require season-ending surgery. During his rehabilitation assignments at Triple-A Las Vegas, he batted .256/.371/.517 with 12 home runs and 12 stolen bases without being caught. He is expected to return healthy for the 2026 season, when the Athletics will look for him to recapture the power-speed production he displayed as a 2023 rookie.
