Zach Neal facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Zach Neal |
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Neal warms up on September 6, 2016
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| Pitcher | |||
| Born: November 9, 1988 Columbia, South Carolina, U.S. |
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| Professional debut | |||
| MLB: May 11, 2016, for the Oakland Athletics | |||
| NPB: April 2, 2019, for the Saitama Seibu Lions | |||
| Last appearance | |||
| NPB: September 8, 2021, for the Saitama Seibu Lions | |||
| MLB: October 1, 2023, for the Oakland Athletics | |||
| MLB statistics | |||
| Win–loss record | 3–5 | ||
| Earned run average | 5.35 | ||
| Strikeouts | 62 | ||
| NPB statistics | |||
| Win–loss record | 19–15 | ||
| Earned run average | 4.49 | ||
| Strikeouts | 143 | ||
| Teams | |||
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Zachary Sheridan Neal, born on November 9, 1988, is a former American baseball player. He was a pitcher in professional baseball. Zach played for teams like the Oakland Athletics and Los Angeles Dodgers in Major League Baseball (MLB). He also played for the Saitama Seibu Lions in Japan's Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB).
Contents
Playing Career
Early Baseball Days
Zach Neal went to Flower Mound High School in Texas. He played college baseball at three different universities. These were Sam Houston State University, Howard College, and the University of Oklahoma.
Florida / Miami Marlins
The Florida Marlins picked Zach in the 17th round of the 2010 Major League Baseball draft. He started his professional career with the GCL Marlins. He also played for the Jamestown Jammers. In his first year, he had a good record of 2 wins and 1 loss.
In 2011, Zach played for the Greensboro Grasshoppers. The next year, he played for the Jupiter Hammerheads and the Jacksonville Suns. He had a combined record of 8 wins and 7 losses. He also struck out 78 batters.
Oakland Athletics
On March 31, 2013, Zach joined the Oakland Athletics. He played for their Double-A team, the Midland RockHounds. He pitched 165.2 innings that season. In 2014, he played for three different teams. He had 10 wins and 7 losses across those teams.
In 2015, Zach played for the Nashville Sounds and Midland. He pitched 167.2 innings and struck out 100 batters.
Zach got called up to the Major Leagues for the first time on May 11, 2016. He played in 24 games for Oakland, starting 6 of them. He finished the season with 2 wins and 4 losses. He also earned 2 saves.
In 2017, Zach started the season in Triple-A. He was called up to the Athletics on May 24. He played in 6 games for Oakland that year. After the season, he became a free agent.
Los Angeles Dodgers
On January 6, 2018, Zach signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers. He joined their main team on April 3. He pitched one inning for the Dodgers. After that, he was taken off the team's main roster on April 5.
Cincinnati Reds
On April 17, 2018, the Dodgers traded Zach to the Cincinnati Reds. He played for the Louisville Bats. He had 2 wins and 2 losses for them. He also struck out 23 batters.
Los Angeles Dodgers (Second Time)
On July 4, 2018, Zach was traded back to the Dodgers. He played in 14 games for the Triple-A Oklahoma City Dodgers. He had 3 wins and 2 losses. After the season, he became a free agent again.
Saitama Seibu Lions (Japan)
Zach signed with the Saitama Seibu Lions in Japan for the 2019 season. He had a great first year there. He finished with 12 wins and only 1 loss. He also had a low earned run average (ERA) of 2.87.
In 2020, Zach had 6 wins and 8 losses in 21 games. In 2021, he played in 11 games. He became a free agent after that season.
Colorado Rockies
On February 18, 2022, Zach signed with the Colorado Rockies. He played in 29 games for the Triple-A Albuquerque Isotopes. He had 6 wins and 6 losses. He struck out 95 batters. He became a free agent again on November 10.
Oakland Athletics (Second Time)
On April 7, 2023, Zach signed another contract with the Oakland Athletics. He played a few games for the Triple-A Las Vegas Aviators. On May 11, Zach was called up to the main team. He pitched in 2 games for Oakland.
He was later removed from the main team on May 19. On August 3, Zach returned to the Major League roster. He played in 14 games for Oakland that year. On October 6, Zach became a free agent.
Retirement
Zach Neal announced that he was retiring from baseball after the 2023 season.
Personal Life
Zach Neal is married to Kianna Neal. He is also the brother-in-law of Kansas City Royals player Bobby Witt Jr.. Zach and Kianna met when he was playing for the University of Oklahoma. Kianna was a cheerleader there. Zach is also a father.
