Zachary Daniel Weiss ( he, זאק וייס; born June 16, 1992) is an

American-Israeli , native_name_lang = , image = , caption = , population = 110,000–150,000 , popplace = New York metropolitan area, Los Angeles metropolitan area, Miami metropolitan area, and other large metropolitan are ...

professional

baseball Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each, taking turns batting and fielding. The game occurs over the course of several plays, with each play generally beginning when a player on the fielding tea ...

pitcher In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throws ("pitches") the baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw ...

for the

Los Angeles Angels The Los Angeles Angels are an American professional baseball team based in the Los Angeles metropolitan area. The Angels compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) West division. Since 1966, the team ha ...

Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL), ...

(MLB). He has previously played in MLB for the

Cincinnati Reds The Cincinnati Reds are an American professional baseball team based in Cincinnati. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) National League Central, Central division and were a charter member of ...

. He has four pitches; he mostly throws his 93-95 mph

fastball The fastball is the most common type of pitch thrown by pitchers in baseball and softball. "Power pitchers," such as former American major leaguers Nolan Ryan and Roger Clemens, rely on speed to prevent the ball from being hit, and have thro ...

and a

slider Slider or Sliders may refer to: Arts * K.K. Slider, a fictional character within the ''Animal Crossing'' franchise * '' The Slider'', a 1972 album by T. Rex * ''Sliders'' (TV series), an American science fiction and fantasy television series * ...

, and also throws a

curveball In baseball and softball, the curveball is a type of pitch thrown with a characteristic grip and hand movement that imparts forward spin to the ball, causing it to dive as it approaches the plate. Varieties of curveball include the 12–6 curve ...

and a

changeup A changeup is a type of pitch in baseball and fastpitch softball. The changeup is a staple off-speed pitch often used in a pitcher's arsenal, usually thrown to look like a fastball but arriving much more slowly to the plate. Its reduced speed ...

. Weiss was a 2015 Southern League All Star, and a 2015 MILB.com Cincinnati Organization All Star, after a season in which his 30 saves were second-most in the minor leagues. The Cincinnati Reds added Weiss to their active roster for

Opening Day Opening Day is the day on which professional baseball leagues begin their regular season. For Major League Baseball (MLB) and most of the American minor leagues, this day typically falls during the first week of April, although in recent years ...

2018, and he made his major league debut that year. In 2018, he became a dual

Israeli citizen Israeli citizenship law details the conditions by which a person holds citizenship of Israel. The two primary pieces of legislation governing these requirements are the 1950 Law of Return and 1952 Citizenship Law. Every Jew in the world has ...

. He pitched for Team Israel at the 2019 European Baseball Championship. He also pitched for the team at the Africa/Europe 2020 Olympic Qualification tournament in Italy in September 2019, which Israel won to qualify to play

baseball at the 2020 Summer Olympics Baseball was featured at the 2020 Summer Olympics, in Tokyo, for the first time since the 2008 Summer Olympics. Six national teams competed in the tournament: Israel, Japan (host), Mexico, South Korea, the United States, and the Dominican Republ ...

in Tokyo. He pitched for Team Israel at the

2020 Summer Olympics The , officially the and also known as , was an international multi-sport event held from 23 July to 8 August 2021 in Tokyo, Japan, with some preliminary events that began on 21 July. Tokyo was selected as the host city during the ...

in Tokyo in the summer of 2021, and won its game against

Mexico Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...

Early and personal life

Weiss was born in

Irvine, California Irvine () is a Planned community, master-planned city in South Orange County, California, United States, in the Los Angeles metropolitan area. The Irvine Company started developing the area in the 1960s and the city was formally incorporated on ...

, to Ernest and Nancy Weiss, and is Jewish."Berman Named JSR First Team All-American,"
Official Site of Western Michigan Athletics, July 25, 2013. He was bar mitzvahed at Congregation B’nai Israel in

Tustin, California Tustin is a city located in Orange County, California, in the Los Angeles metropolitan area. In 2020, Tustin had a population of 80,276. The city is located next to the county seat, Santa Ana, and does not include the unincorporated community ...

.Justin Berg (September 29, 2017)
">"Mysterious injury temporarily derailed pitcher's dream,"
''American Israelite''. In October 2018 he became a dual Israeli citizen, partly to help Israel's baseball team make the 2020 Olympics. He has a younger sister, Ariana. Weiss played baseball for

Northwood High School Northwood High School may refer to: * Northwood High School (Irvine, California) * Northwood High School (Louisiana) * Northwood High School (Montgomery County, Maryland) * NorthWood High School, Nappanee, Indiana * Northwood High School (North C ...

in Irvine, where as a senior he was second-team All-

California Interscholastic Federation The California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) is the governing body for high school sports in the U.S. state of California. CIF membership includes both public and private high schools. Unlike most other state organizations, it does not have a s ...

Southern Section Division II and second-team All-

Sea View League The Sea View League, along with the South Coast League in Orange County, California, make up the nine member high schools of the Coast View Athletic Association, which is part of the California Interscholastic Federation's Southern Section. For t ...

. Academically, he had a 4.0

GPA Grading in education is the process of applying standardized measurements for varying levels of achievements in a course. Grades can be assigned as letters (usually A through F), as a range (for example, 1 to 6), as a percentage, or as a numbe ...

. He was drafted by the

Pittsburgh Pirates The Pittsburgh Pirates are an American professional baseball team based in Pittsburgh. The Pirates compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) Central division. Founded as part of the American Associati ...

in the 10th round of the

2010 Major League Baseball Draft The 2010 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft was held on June 7–9, 2010 at the MLB Network Studios in Secaucus, New Jersey. First-round selections The draft order was determined based on the 2009 MLB standings, with the worst team pic ...

. He did not sign, and instead attended the

University of California, Los Angeles The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) is a public land-grant research university in Los Angeles, California. UCLA's academic roots were established in 1881 as a teachers college then known as the southern branch of the California St ...

(UCLA) to major in geography and

environmental studies Environmental studies is a multidisciplinary academic field which systematically studies human interaction with the environment. Environmental studies connects principles from the physical sciences, commerce/economics, the humanities, and social ...

and play

college baseball College baseball is baseball that is played on the intercollegiate level at institutions of higher education. In comparison to football and basketball, college competition in the United States plays a smaller role in developing professional pl ...

for the UCLA Bruins baseball team. In 2011, he played

collegiate summer baseball Collegiate summer baseball leagues are amateur baseball leagues in the United States and Canada featuring players who have attended at least one year of college and have at least one year of athletic eligibility remaining. Generally, they operat ...

in the

Cape Cod Baseball League The Cape Cod Baseball League (CCBL or Cape League) is a collegiate summer baseball wooden bat league located on Cape Cod in the U.S. state of Massachusetts. One of the nation's premier collegiate summer leagues, the league boasts over one thousan ...

for the Yarmouth-Dennis Red Sox. In his junior year of college in 2013, he switched from being a starter to pitching as a reliever, had a 2.25 earned run average, and helped the Bruins win their first national baseball championship. He was a 2013 ''

Jewish Sports Review ''Jewish Sports Review (JSR)'' is a bi-monthly magazine that was established in 1997. Its editors are Ephraim Moxson and Shel Wallman. The magazine identifies which star and professional athletes are Jewish. It also covers and has all-time lists ...

'' Division I College Baseball All-American, along with Alex Bregman and

Brad Goldberg Bradley Andrew Goldberg (born February 21, 1990) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Chicago White Sox. In high school, Goldberg was a 2008 preseason '' Baseball America'' All-Am ...

Professional career

Cincinnati Reds

He was then drafted by the

in the sixth round of the

2013 MLB Draft The 2013 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft was held from June 6 through June 8, 2013. The first two rounds were broadcast from Studio 42 of the MLB Network in Secaucus, New Jersey. Each team received one selection per round, going in ...

. Weiss signed with the Reds and made his professional debut with the

Arizona League Reds The Arizona Complex League Reds are a Rookie-level affiliate of the Cincinnati Reds, competing in the Arizona Complex League of Minor League Baseball. The team plays its home games at Goodyear Ballpark in Goodyear, Arizona. The team is composed ...

, and also played for the

Billings Mustangs The Billings Mustangs are an independent baseball team of the Pioneer League, which is not affiliated with Major League Baseball (MLB) but is an MLB Partner League. They are located in Billings, Montana, and have played their home games at Dehler ...

that year. Weiss spent 2014 with the

Dayton Dragons The Dayton Dragons are a Minor League Baseball team of the Midwest League and the High-A affiliate of the Cincinnati Reds. They are located in Dayton, Ohio, and play their home games at Day Air Ballpark, formerly known as Fifth Third Field. In 2 ...

of the Class A

Midwest League The Midwest League is a Minor League Baseball league established in 1947 and based in the Midwestern United States. A Class A league for most of its history, the league was promoted to High-A as part of Major League Baseball's 2021 reorganizat ...

, for whom he was 2-4 with a 2.42 ERA, with 80 strikeouts in 63.1 innings. Weiss spent 2015 with the

Daytona Tortugas The Daytona Tortugas are a Minor League Baseball team of the Florida State League and the Single-A affiliate of the Cincinnati Reds. They are located in Daytona Beach, Florida, and play their home games at Jackie Robinson Ballpark; opened in 191 ...

of the Class A-Advanced

Florida State League The Florida State League (FSL) is a Minor League Baseball league based in the state of Florida. Having been classified at various levels throughout its existence, it operated at Class A-Advanced from 1990 until its demotion to Single-A following ...

and the

Pensacola Blue Wahoos The Pensacola Blue Wahoos are a Minor League Baseball team of the Southern League and the Double-A affiliate of the Miami Marlins. They are based in Pensacola, Florida, and play their home games at Admiral Fetterman Field. In 2012, the team rel ...

of the

Class AA Double-A (officially Class AA) is the second-highest level of play in Minor League Baseball in the United States since 1946, below only Triple-A. There are currently 30 teams classified at the Double-A level, one for each team in Major League ...

Southern League. He had a Pensacola-record 25 saves (leading the league; in 27 opportunities; 11.8 K/9, 2.5 BB/9), and 30 saves (second in the minor leagues; in 32 opportunities) in total between the two teams. In 63 2/3 innings, he had a 1.98 ERA and gave up 42 hits and 15 walks, while striking out 90 batters (averaging 12.7 strikeouts per nine innings). He was a 2015 Southern League All Star, and a 2015 MILB.com Cincinnati Organization All Star. After the season, he played in the

Arizona Fall League The Arizona Fall League (AFL) is an off-season sports league owned and operated by Major League Baseball (MLB) which operates during the autumn in Arizona, United States, at six different baseball complexes. Arizona Fall League rosters are fill ...

. He suffered an elbow injury in early 2016 while in major league spring training, did not pitch that year, and underwent surgery to transpose the

ulnar nerve In human anatomy, the ulnar nerve is a nerve that runs near the ulna bone. The ulnar collateral ligament of elbow joint is in relation with the ulnar nerve. The nerve is the largest in the human body unprotected by muscle or bone, so injury is ...

and to remove

scar tissue Scar tissue may refer to: Medicine * Scar, an area of fibrous tissue that replaces normal skin after injury * Granulation tissue, a product of healing in major wounds Film and television * ''Scar Tissue'' (1975 film), or ''Wanted: Babysitter'' ...

in his pitching elbow in December 2016. In 2017, Weiss was 2-1 with one save and a 2.08 ERA, and 19 strikeouts in 13 innings, for Daytona, and 2-4 with nine saves (tied for 7th in the league) and a 2.89 ERA, and 37 strikeouts in 28 innings, for Pensacola. Between the two teams, he averaged 12.3 strikeouts per nine innings. The Reds added him to their 40-man roster after the 2017 season. In 2018 in the minors, between the Arizona Reds, Pensacola Blue Wahoos, and the Louisville Bats he was 3-3 with one save and a 5.40 ERA, and 26 strikeouts in 24.1 innings. Reds manager

Bryan Price Bryan Roberts Price (born June 22, 1962) is an American former professional baseball coach and manager. Price was the manager of the Cincinnati Reds of MLB, from 2014 through 2018. After pitching in the minor leagues, Price has served as the p ...

said in spring training in 2018: "if he doesn't make the team I imagine we'll see him at some point during the year." The Cincinnati Reds added Weiss to their active roster on their

, March 30, 2018, and he made his major league debut on April 12, at

Great American Ball Park Great American Ball Park is a baseball stadium in Cincinnati, Ohio. It served as the home stadium of the Cincinnati Reds of Major League Baseball (MLB), and opened on March 31, 2003, replacing Cinergy Field (formerly Riverfront Stadium), the R ...

against the

St. Louis Cardinals The St. Louis Cardinals are an American professional baseball team based in St. Louis. The Cardinals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) Central division. Since the 2006 season, the Cardinals ha ...

. He gave up two walks and two home runs to the 4 batters he faced. Weiss was released by the Reds on September 1, 2018.

Minnesota Twins

On November 1, 2018, Weiss signed a minor league deal with the

Minnesota Twins The Minnesota Twins are an American professional baseball team based in Minneapolis. The Twins compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central Division. The team is named after the Twin Cities area w ...

. He was released by the organization on July 15, 2019. In 2019, pitching for the Class AA (the

) and Class AAA (the

Rochester Red Wings The Rochester Red Wings are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League and the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A affiliate of the Washington Nationals. They are located in Rochester, New York, and play their home games at Innovative Field ...

) affiliates of the

, he was a combined 1-3 with a 7.24 ERA in 16 relief appearances, with 30 strikeouts in 27.1 innings.

Long Island Ducks

On July 19, 2019, Weiss signed with the

Long Island Ducks The Long Island Ducks are an American professional minor-league baseball team based on Long Island in Central Islip, New York. The Ducks compete in the North Division of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball (ALPB), an independent "partne ...

of the

Atlantic League of Professional Baseball The Atlantic League of Professional Baseball (ALPB) is a professional independent baseball league based in the United States. It is an official MLB Partner League based in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern United States. The Atlantic League's ...

. Pitching for them in 2019 he was 4-1 with one save and a 4.68 ERA in 16 relief appearances, as he struck out 34 batters in 25 innings. He became a free agent following the season.

Cleveland Indians

On February 18, 2020, Weiss signed a minor league deal with the

Cleveland Indians The Cleveland Guardians are an American professional baseball team based in Cleveland. The Guardians compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central division. Since , they have played at Progressive F ...

. Weiss was released by the Indians on May 29, 2020.

Sugar Land Skeeters

On August 4, 2020, Weiss signed with the

Sugar Land Skeeters The Sugar Land Space Cowboys are a Minor League Baseball team of the Pacific Coast League (PCL) and the Triple-A affiliate of the Houston Astros Major League Baseball club. They are located in Sugar Land, Texas, part of the Greater Houston metr ...

of the

Constellation Energy League The Constellation Energy League was an independent baseball league that operated in Texas during 2020 because of COVID-19 restrictions limiting travel, and as a way to create opportunities for minor league players. History The league consisted of ...

Kansas City Monarchs

On February 25, 2021, Weiss signed with the

Kansas City Monarchs The Kansas City Monarchs were the longest-running franchise in the history of baseball's Negro leagues. Operating in Kansas City, Missouri, and owned by J. L. Wilkinson, they were charter members of the Negro National League from 1920 to 193 ...

of the

American Association of Professional Baseball The American Association of Professional Baseball is an independent professional baseball league founded in 2005. It operates in the central United States and Canada, mostly in cities not served by Major League Baseball teams or their minor lea ...

. Weiss allowed 1 run in 2.0 innings of work in his only appearance for the Monarchs.

Seattle Mariners

On May 22, 2021, Weiss had his contract purchased by the

Seattle Mariners The Seattle Mariners are an American professional baseball team based in Seattle. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League West, West division. The team joined the American League ...

organization. Pitching for the

Tacoma Rainiers The Tacoma Rainiers are a Minor League Baseball team of the Pacific Coast League (PCL) and the Triple-A affiliate of the Seattle Mariners. They are located in Tacoma, Washington, and play their home games at Cheney Stadium, which opened in 1960 ...

of the

Triple-A West The Pacific Coast League (PCL) is a Minor League Baseball league that operates in the Western United States. Along with the International League, it is one of two leagues playing at the Triple-A level, which is one grade below Major League Ba ...

in 2021, he was 2-3 with one save and a 4.31 ERA. In 30 games (one start) he pitched 39.2 innings, striking out 56 batters (12.7 strikeouts per 9 innings).

Los Angeles Angels

On November 28, 2021, Weiss signed a minor league contract with the

. He began the 2022 season with the Class AAA

Salt Lake Bees The Salt Lake Bees are a Minor League Baseball team of the Pacific Coast League (PCL) and the Triple-A affiliate of the Los Angeles Angels. They are located in Salt Lake City, Utah, and play their home games at Smith's Ballpark. The ballpark op ...

, with whom he was 2-3 with three saves and a 4.50 ERA in 45 relief appearances, covering 50 innings in which he had 65 strikeout

He had his contract selected on September 1, 2022, and with the Angels was 0-1 with a 3.38 ERA in 12 relief appearances, as in 13.1 innings he gave up seven hits and struck out 18 batters (12.2 strikeouts/9 innings

Team Israel

He pitched for Team Israel at the 2019 European Baseball Championship, going 1-0 with one save and a 0.00 ERA as in four relief appearances he pitched 6.1 innings and gave up one hit (holding batters to a .050 batting average) and three walks while striking out five batters. He also pitched for the team at the Africa/Europe 2020 Olympic Qualification tournament in Italy in September 2019, which Israel won to qualify to play

in Tokyo. In the tournament he was 0-0 with a 6.00 ERA over 3.0 innings in which he gave up one hit, four walks, and had six strikeouts."Pitching,"
olympicbaseball.wbsc.org. He pitched for Team Israel at the

in Tokyo in the summer of 2021, and won its game against

. Overall, in three games he pitched seven innings, gave up nine hits and seven earned runs, and struck out 11 batters.

References

External links

*
UCLA Bruins bio
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Weiss, Zack 1992 births Living people Sportspeople from Irvine, California Baseball players from California Jewish American baseball players Jewish Major League Baseball players Major League Baseball pitchers Cincinnati Reds players Los Angeles Angels players UCLA Bruins baseball players Yarmouth–Dennis Red Sox players Arizona League Reds players Billings Mustangs players Dayton Dragons players Daytona Tortugas players Pensacola Blue Wahoos players Peoria Javelinas players Louisville Bats players Tacoma Rainiers players Long Island Ducks players Israeli American Israeli baseball players 2019 European Baseball Championship players Baseball players at the 2020 Summer Olympics Olympic baseball players of Israel 21st-century American Jews

Early and personal life

Professional career

Cincinnati Reds

Minnesota Twins

Long Island Ducks

Cleveland Indians

Sugar Land Skeeters

Kansas City Monarchs

Seattle Mariners

Los Angeles Angels

Team Israel

See also

References

External links