Zach Neal

Position: RHP
Born: 11/9/1988
Height: 6'3
Weight: 220
B/T: R/R
Acquired: Signed as a minor league free agent on March 28, 2013 (OAK). Originally drafted in the 17th round of the 2010 MLB First-Year Player Draft (MIA).

Most Recent Stats at Time of Debut
CURRENT SEASON STATS: 4-1 with a 2.70 ERA in six starts at Nashville (Triple-A), he’d struck out 20 while walking just three and allowing 33 hits in 36.2 IP.

Info & MLB Debut Date
Contract purchased from Nashville on May 10, along with that of LHP Eric Surkamp, when LHP Daniel Couloumbe was sent down and INF Jed Lowrie was placed on the 15-day DL, with INF Eric Sogard moving to the 60-day DL to make room on the roster.
MLB Debut Date: 5/11/2016

Debut Details
May 11, in a 13-3 loss to the Red Sox. The last of five pitchers to face a Red Sox lineup that collected 17 hits on the night, Neal tossed the final three innings, allowing three runs, all earned, on four hits and striking out two without walking a batter. Coming on to start the sixth inning, he retired the first big league batter he faced, Travis Shaw, on a fly out before giving up a double to Christian Vazquez. After Jackie Bradley struck out swinging, Vazquez moved to third on a passed ball while Mookie Betts was at bat, and Betts brought him home with an RBI single to right. After retiring the side in order in the seventh, Neal gave up another two runs with two outs in the eighth when Vazquez singled to left, and then scored on Bradley’s homer to right field, his second home run of the night.

Player Notes
After starting his career in the Marlins’ system in 2010, Nash was released at the end of 2013 spring training but didn’t last long on the crowded market of minor league players released at the end of spring training; the Athletics signed him two days later and he began his ascent up a new ladder on the other side of the country. His numbers have traditionally shown a solid ERA, an ability to throw a ton of innings, and a tendency to give up a lot of hits per inning, but to offset that with a very fine walk-to-strikeout ratio. In 2015, between Midland (Double-A) and Nashville (Triple-A), he went 10-13 with a 4.67 ERA in 28 games, 27 of them starts, including two complete games, allowing 194 hits in 167.2 IP, and striking out 100 while walking just 35. In 2014, moving up from Stockton (High A) to Midland (Double-A) to Sacramento (Triple-A), he was 10-7 with a 3.10 ERA and struck out 124 batters in 165.1 IP while walking just 20.

2080 Notes
The fourth Oakland player to make his big league debut in just the first month of the minor league season (all four came up from the minors as opposed to being on the Opening Day roster), following in the footsteps of fellow pitchers RHP Andrew Triggs, LHP Sean Manaea and RHP J.B. Wendelken. 2080 Baseball staff writer Melissa Lockard, the guru on all things Oakland Athletics and the columnist for OaklandClubhouse at Scout.com, has been doing yeoman’s work in keeping us in the know about these newcomers. Regarding Neal, all you need to know about him is right here. As always, thanks for making my job easy, Melissa!