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). A native of Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, Gelof played college baseball for the Virginia Cavaliers in the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) and emerged as one of the top amateur position players in the 2021 draft class. He was selected in the second round of the 2021 MLB draft by the Oakland Athletics, signed that summer, and rose quickly through the minor leagues before making his MLB debut in July 2023.
Gelof has since become a fixture in the Athletics lineup, recognized for his power-speed profile and defensive versatility at second base. He also represented Team Israel in the 2023 World Baseball Classic, extending his baseball background to the international stage alongside his developing MLB career.
Early Life and Background
Zachary Dunn Gelof was born on October 19, 1999, in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, and grew up along the state’s Atlantic coast. He is the son of Kelly and Adam Gelof, both of whom are attorneys, and he was raised in a Jewish household, attending Hebrew school at the Seaside Jewish Community. Gelof attended Cape Henlopen High School, where he distinguished himself both academically and athletically, serving as Class President for each of his four years and graduating with a 4.02 GPA.
At Cape Henlopen, Gelof was a multi-sport standout who played every game of the high school baseball team’s four seasons. In his senior year, playing shortstop and pitching, he batted .465 and led the state in hits (35), runs (37), and home runs (7), while going 28-for-28 in stolen bases with 17 RBIs. As a pitcher he went 4-0 with a 1.30 ERA and 34 strikeouts in 26 innings. He was named the 2018 Delaware Gatorade Player of the Year and a two-time Henlopen Conference Player of the Year. He also starred on the soccer pitch, finishing as Delaware’s leading goal scorer from 2015 to 2018 with 61 goals and 16 assists, and earning four All-Conference selections.
Selected in the 38th round of the 2018 MLB draft by the Cleveland Indians, Gelof opted not to sign, choosing instead to continue his baseball career at the University of Virginia. That summer he played collegiate summer ball for the Brockton Rox of the Futures Collegiate Baseball League, batting .292/.370/.403 with 13 stolen bases across the season.
Path to Major League Baseball
Gelof arrived at the University of Virginia as a highly regarded recruit and quickly became a mainstay in the Cavaliers’ lineup. As a freshman in 2019, he started all 56 games at third base and batted .313/.377/.396 with 16 stolen bases, then played for the Kalamazoo Growlers of the Northwoods League that summer, where he batted .349/.426/.490 with 22 steals. His sophomore year in 2020 was shortened by the coronavirus pandemic, but he still slashed .349/.469/.746 to lead the ACC and earned Collegiate Baseball Second Team All-American honors, along with a No. 3 ranking among college third basemen by D1Baseball.
Entering his junior season in 2021, Gelof was named a First Team Preseason All-American by Collegiate Baseball and the NCBWA. He batted .312/.393/.485 and led the ACC in hits with 81, while adding 18 doubles and 12 stolen bases, earning second team All-ACC recognition. Virginia reached the 2021 College World Series, and Gelof was named the third baseman on the All-Tournament Team after hitting .583. He left college as one of the top prospects in the 2021 draft class.
Zack Gelof Career
Early Career (2021–2022)
The Oakland Athletics selected Gelof with the 60th overall pick in the second round of the 2021 MLB draft, making him the sixth-highest draft pick in Delaware history. He signed with the club on July 24, 2021, for a $1,157,400 signing bonus, and began his professional career at the Rookie-level Arizona Complex League before being promoted to the Low-A Stockton Ports, where he batted .298/.393/.548. He finished the 2021 season with the Triple-A Las Vegas Aviators and batted .333/.422/.565 with seven home runs and 13 stolen bases across 138 combined at bats while playing third base. MLB.com ranked him the A’s seventh-best prospect and 87th-best in baseball.
In 2022, Gelof ran the fastest 30-yard sprint in the A’s farm system during spring training but missed nearly seven weeks with a torn labrum and a subluxed left shoulder suffered in May. Healthy again, he played for the Double-A Midland RockHounds and hit .271/.356/.438 with 13 home runs and nine stolen bases over 83 games, splitting time between second base, third base, designated hitter, and center field. He finished the year with the Las Vegas Aviators and later played for the Mesa Solar Sox in the Arizona Fall League. Assistant general manager Billy Owens praised Gelof as a dynamic athlete with plus-plus speed, serious strength, and improving plate discipline.
MLB Breakthrough (2023–2024)
After a strong spring training in 2023, Gelof opened the year as the A’s third-ranked prospect at Triple-A Las Vegas, where he batted .304/.401/.529 with 12 home runs and 20 stolen bases. He was formally added to the 40-man roster and promoted to the major leagues on July 14, 2023, making his MLB debut that day. Gelof hit his first major league home run on July 22 against Ryne Stanek of the Houston Astros, and he quickly set several franchise milestones, including becoming the fastest player in Oakland A’s history to hit six home runs, doing so in his first 22 games. By August 24, he was the fastest Athletics player ever to reach 10 home runs, accomplishing the feat in just 35 games, and he was named American League Rookie of the Month for August.
Across 69 games as a rookie in 2023, Gelof batted .267/.337/.504 with 14 home runs and 14 stolen bases, playing all of his starts at second base. Among MLB rookies with at least 300 plate appearances, he ranked third in isolated power (.237) and line drive percentage (25.5%), fifth in slugging percentage, and sixth in OPS (.840) and WAR (2.9). He was named an A’s Organization All-Star by MLB.com and later that year played for Team Israel in the 2023 World Baseball Classic, where Israel went 1-3 and was eliminated in group play.
In 2024, Gelof appeared in 138 games for the Athletics, all at second base, and batted .211/.270/.362 with 17 home runs and 25 stolen bases in 28 attempts. He led the American League with 188 strikeouts, but also ranked among the league leaders in sacrifice hits, stolen base percentage, and power-speed number. Defensively, he paced all AL second basemen in putouts (264), range factor per game (4.32), and range factor per nine innings (4.43), while ranking second in double plays turned and third in assists and fielding percentage.
Athletics Era (2025–Present)
Gelof entered 2025 as the Athletics’ everyday second baseman, but his season was delayed by a hamate bone fracture that required surgery, announced on March 23, 2025. He was activated from the injured list on July 4 and made his season debut that night. In 30 appearances, Gelof batted .174/.230/.272 with two home runs, seven RBIs, and one stolen base before a dislocated left shoulder, suffered on September 20, ultimately required season-ending surgery. Despite the setbacks, he remained a key part of the club’s long-term plans at second base.
Driving Style and Strengths
Gelof is widely viewed as a dynamic, power-speed player who impacts the game in multiple ways. He is a plus-plus runner with serious strength, capable of driving the ball to all fields while also swiping bases at a high clip. Scouts have praised his improving plate discipline as he climbs the ladder, and his defensive versatility, ranging from third base to center field, allows his teams to deploy his athleticism across the diamond.
Notable Events and Milestones
Gelof’s 2023 debut season was defined by a series of franchise records. He became the fastest player in Oakland A’s history to hit six and then 10 home runs, the first player in the Modern Era (since 1900) to record at least eight home runs and six stolen bases in his first 25 career games, and the first A’s player to post 20 extra-base hits and 20 runs scored through his first 28 games. He was also named an A’s Organization All-Star and represented Team Israel at the 2023 World Baseball Classic.
Zack Gelof Career Wins
Across his minor and major league career, Zack Gelof has been recognized primarily for his offensive production rather than win totals in starting pitching or pitching categories, and he has notched signature performances in several leagues. In the minors he reached Triple-A with Las Vegas by the end of his first professional season, and in the majors he earned 2023 American League Rookie of the Month honors for August.
MLB Highlights
Gelof made his MLB debut on July 14, 2023, and within his first six weeks in the majors set multiple Oakland Athletics franchise records for home runs and extra-base hits. He finished his rookie year with 14 home runs, 20 doubles, and 14 stolen bases across 69 games, all played at second base. In 2024 he played 138 games at second base, leading all AL second basemen in putouts, range factor per game, and range factor per nine innings, while adding 17 home runs and 25 stolen bases on offense.
Other Wins and Performances
In college, Gelof helped Virginia reach the 2021 College World Series and was named to the All-Tournament Team after hitting .583. He was also recognized as a 2021 First Team Preseason All-American by Collegiate Baseball and the NCBWA, and as the No. 5 preseason third baseman by D1Baseball. In the minors he was twice ranked among the A’s top prospects and once among MLB’s top 100 prospects.
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Zack Gelof Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Zack Gelof was raised in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, by his parents, Kelly and Adam Gelof, both of whom work as attorneys. He grew up in a Jewish household and attended Hebrew school at the Seaside Jewish Community. His younger brother, Jake Gelof, also played baseball at the University of Virginia as a third baseman and was drafted in the second round of the 2023 MLB draft by the Los Angeles Dodgers. Jake and Zack were teammates both at Cape Henlopen High School and with the Cavaliers, continuing the family’s baseball tradition.
Personal Life
Off the field, Gelof and his brother Jake created the Gelof Brothers Foundation in November 2023. The foundation’s mission is to provide resources and assistance to support the development of youth, and in its first month the brothers hosted an inaugural youth sports camp for children ages 8 to 13 at Cape Henlopen High School in Lewes, Delaware. Gelof continues to be recognized for his commitment to community work in his home state.
2025 Season Performance
Zack Gelof’s 2025 campaign was disrupted almost immediately, as the Athletics announced on March 23 that he would miss the start of the season following hamate bone surgery. The injury delayed his return to the lineup until July 4, when he was activated from the injured list and made his season debut. Across 30 appearances for the Athletics, Gelof batted .174/.230/.272 with two home runs, seven RBIs, and one stolen base, working to rediscover his rhythm at the plate after the long layoff.
His season came to an early close on September 20, when a dislocated left shoulder landed him back on the injured list and ultimately required season-ending surgery. The second major injury of his year effectively cut short his opportunities to build momentum, although the club remained high on his long-term role at second base given his prior rookie success and his track record of speed and power.
Looking ahead, Gelof’s 2025 setbacks underscored the importance of durability as he continues to develop as an everyday player. With both his hamate and shoulder surgeries now in his rearview mirror, the focus shifts to a healthy offseason of rehabilitation and preparation, with the expectation that he will compete for an everyday role in the Athletics’ 2026 lineup.