OAKLAND — Statistically, baseball is a game of failure. And Zack Gelof is addicted to the failure.
That doesn't mean the A's rookie second baseman likes losing, of course. He just revels in the opportunity failure presents.
Baseball wasn't the sport of choice in Gelof's small hometown of Rehoboth Beach, Delaware. Field hockey and lacrosse were big at Cape Henlopen High School, where Gelof and his brother, Jake, were soccer stars. But the Gelof brothers were drawn to baseball; Zack found the more he could master his failures, the further he got in the sport.
"Look at basketball or football; if you're bigger, faster stronger — or have the best shot — you're automatically going to be better," Gelof said. "It's not easy, but baseball is up and down and you have to have a mental side to the game to respond to the failure."
Just 58 games into his MLB career, 24-year-old Gelof has emerged as one of the next faces of the Oakland A's. How he's responded to failure got him here. Gelof managed to turn all the peaks and valleys MLB prospects must travel to their big league dreams into rolling hills.
"He doesn't take failures too seriously, he sees them as a challenge," said A's third base coach Eric Martins. "He's not going to go through big spurts of slump because he will find ways to get out of it and that's what you look for. Hitters start to scuffle and struggle it snowballs, and he's a guy that takes it as a challenge and continues to work to find ways to hone his process.
The A's historic failures this season might overshadow Gelof's success, but the rookie is a must-watch player in an otherwise un-watchable season.
The A's drafted the former University of Virginia star in the second round in 2021, and by the end of that season — at the age of 21 — he was promoted to Triple-A Las Vegas for a handful of games after batting .333 with a .988 OPS between three minor league levels. He tore his labrum diving for a ball in 2022 with Double-A Midland, but again hit his way back to Triple-A for the end of the season. Gelof opened this season at Triple-A, where he became the team's No. 3 prospect and earned a call-up July 14.
No MLB rookie has more than his 18 doubles since Gelof debuted, and his 60 hits and 31 extra-base hits rank second during that span. Plus, his 12 home runs are tied for third among rookies.
If Gelof had arrived a little sooner, he'd likely be in the Rookie of the Year conversation. He's batting .269 with a .859 OPS and his 2.3 fWAR ranks fourth among all rookies in the American League behind Baltimore's Gunnar Henderson, Tampa Bay's Luke Raley and Texas' Josh Jung — who have all played at least 50 more games than Gelof.
Gelof has burst on the scene at an awkward time for the franchise. Fans are likely reluctant as ever to invest in the new wave of A's stars — a defense mechanism for past heartbreak when ownership has shipped beloved players off as well as a direct result of a potential relocation to Las Vegas looming over the heads of the players and fans. But Gelof's success makes him the face of the new core team along with his middle-infield buddy Nick Allen, Tyler Soderstrom, Lawrence Butler and a host of prospects getting their shot in the big leagues.
Gelof grew up a Philadelphia sports fan. He loves the 76ers and Eagles, and admires quarterback Jalen Hurts' leadership. He liked the Phillies, too, but was a diehard Baltimore Orioles fan. With his brother and dad, Adam Gelof, Zack frequented Camden Yards to watch Miguel Tejada, Brian Roberts, Adam Jones and Nick Markakis.
Once Gelof hit college at the University of Virginia, he took on new idols, future infield peers: DJ LeMahieu, Trea Turner and Marcus Semien.
"Each of them do things I can do well and do things I want to do," Gelof said. "I'll pull Turner's smooth ability and speed and LeMahieu's height as a middle infielder and being a batting champ. Then Marcus Semien's work ethic and how he shows up every day and hits and helps the team win. If I can be a combo of those guys, I'll be good."
Bits of those three players are evident in Gelof's play so far. He's a smooth defender who has made some outstanding plays at second base — including a leaping catch to rob Angels' Mike Moustakas of a hit earlier this month. His soccer career, he says, helped hone his footwork in the infield.
Like Semien, he's emerged as a clubhouse leader next to the veterans. Semien was known as a quieter, lead-by-example guy during his years with the A's since leaving in free agency. Gelof is more outspoken.
"Zack is probably more vocal in certain areas, talkative, and Marcus was a quieter guy," Martins said. "They are very similar in the way they do things."
Like all three, Gelof could turn into one of baseball's premier hitters. He overcomes slumps quickly because he doesn't get overwhelmed by the challenge.
Big league pitchers have adjusted their sequencing to Gelof since his call-up in July, elevating their fastballs more and tunneling them with breaking balls. Gelof is relishing the opportunity to fight back — "not guessing" what pitchers will throw and learning to recognize the fastballs up and not chase.
Gelof is big on studying.
"He's great at in-game adjustments for a young player," manager Mark Kotsay said. "He comes back into the dugout and studies the iPad, studies how he was pitched. You can see it in the next at-bat that he's going up with a plan that will lead to success. He's definitely a student of the game and that's helped him stay out of those valleys. He's one of those players that hasn't had a big valley."
Gelof hasn't experienced much failure in his baseball career yet, but he's pulling up the string for a franchise that's splattered on rock bottom. Maybe he's exactly what the team needs.
"A lot of people think it's not a lot of pressure because you aren't fighting for a playoff spot," Gelof said. "But for me it's been tougher because it's always been about how to help the team win. If you're not going to the playoffs, then what are you playing for? Every game matters and next year starts now."
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