Zach DeLoach’s summer so far: Drafted by Mariners, proposed, now training with club’s top prospects
Mariners outfield prospect Zach DeLoach has had a life-changing summer in more ways than one.
He was drafted at No. 43 overall in the second round by Seattle in June.
He proposed to his girlfriend.
And he was invited to Seattle’s three-week summer camp, collecting his first hit in a major league ballpark in July.
“Definitely popping the question,” he said with a laugh on a recent video call with reporters from the Mariners’ alternate training site in Tacoma. “No doubt. But, closely behind would definitely be getting the call (that the Mariners drafted him). That was a pretty stressful time. But, definitely popping the question was probably the most stressful thing.
“I had thought about it for a long time, and that day finally came, and I was a nervous wreck. I tried not to show it as much, because she was with me that day the entire day, so I tried to lay low, tried to act my normal self and tried to contain myself. But, that was definitely the most stressful, but exciting time.”
This short stretch of summer has probably been the most exciting of DeLoach’s life, he said, and it’s been busy.
When his junior season at Texas A&M abruptly ended in the spring due to the COVID-19 pandemic — he was hitting .421/.547/.789 with three doubles, six homers, 17 RBI and six stolen bases in 18 games for the Aggies when the college baseball season shut down — DeLoach turned his focus toward the draft.
Mariners director of amateur scouting Scott Hunter said in June the club believed DeLoach was one of the best hitters available in this year’s class after the powerful left-handed hitter won the Cape Cod League’s batting title in 2019.
But, it wasn’t until last summer that DeLoach completely grabbed Seattle’s attention. His first two seasons with the Aggies ended with disappointing results at the plate. He hit just .264 as a freshman, .200 as a sophomore and knew he had hit a low point with his swing.
So, he overhauled it last summer while playing in the Cape Cod League.
“I just wasn’t really in the right mindset, didn’t feel right at the plate,” DeLoach said. “I knew I needed to make a change, and I think just being able to go to the Cape, and even kind of before that, I was just working on simplifying a lot of things.”
He had a big leg kick back then and a lot of hand movement, and worked to calm his swing down. He knew after the time spent in the weight room at Texas A&M he had strength, and there was power behind his swing, he just needed a simpler approach.
While playing for the Falmouth Commodores, DeLoach worked with hitting coach Brett Becker, who introduced him to a toe tap to help his timing.
“Long story short, that led to the hitting champ of the Cape Cod League, and that led to the hitting .421 in college,” DeLoach said.
And those numbers led to a second-round pick.
“Zach DeLoach was an exciting pick for us,” Hunter said after the draft. “ ... He’s a guy that’s always controlled the zone. He’s got a pure left-handed swing. He’s started tapping into some of his power, and we still really believe that the best is yet to come for Zach.”
DeLoach said getting the call that the Mariners were drafting him was “a dream come true.” Less than a month later he received another call from general manager Jerry Dipoto inviting him to summer camp at T-Mobile Park.
He proposed before he departed for Seattle, and arrived along with three of the Mariners’ other draft picks, most of their top prospects and their regular big league players the first week of July for the three-week camp.
DeLoach appeared in six intrasquad games at T-Mobile Park and recorded his first hit there off pitching prospect Aaron Fletcher.
“DeLoach has looked really good,” Mariners manager Scott Servais said during summer camp last month. “I really like his swing. Like his demeanor. He’s learning a ton. He’s a guy who likes to talk and ask questions.
“It’s just great experience for those young guys to be around this environment and talk to guys that have a little bit more experience.”
Meeting and working with some of the more experienced players in the organization has been a “great opportunity,” DeLoach said.
Especially working out in Tacoma now with a smaller group, he’s been able to learn from fellow outfielders who have played in the big leagues — like Braden Bishop and Jake Fraley — as well as top prospect Jarred Kelenic.
“They’ve all been really helpful,” DeLoach said. “They’ve all been able to really take me in as one of their own, and have been able to get me under their wing and take me along, show me the way, show me the ropes if you will.
“So, that’s been really positive in just kind of getting more and more comfortable each day that we go here.”
With two months still to practice and play in intrasquad games in Tacoma, DeLoach wants to continue to take advantage of opportunities he may not have had in a traditional minor league season as a first-year professional.
“For me being in this position, my goal here is to just sharpen my tools, sharpen my skills,” he said. “This is going to be great for the first season of pro ball because I have already been acclimated, versus just sitting at home not knowing what to expect.
“This opportunity has given me a lot of outlook to the future, and has been able to prepare me more for what’s to come as far as seeing pitches, being able to see the big league arms … and being able to really get after it, too. Being able to work on timing, being able to work on certain things that I wouldn’t have thought about that the Mariners do from a hitting standpoint.
“I think just mentally more so than physically (this) has been a real game changer for me here.”
