Cape Henlopen grad Gelof a high pick by Athletics in MLB draft

Zack Gelof is poised to turn his prolific production at the collegiate level into a pro baseball career.

The Cape Henlopen High graduate was chosen by the Oakland Athletics in the second round of the Major League Baseball draft, 60th overall, on Monday.  

Should Gelof sign – he has one year of eligibility left at the University of Virginia – it would equate to a bonus of roughly $1.16 million, according to mlb.com. Gelof is waiting to hear from the A's about when and where they'll meet to discuss the next step.

"Going back a day or two prior, there was a conversation that seemed pretty serious so I knew they had some interest," Gelof said of the Athletics. "But I wasn't planning on that. I was kind of expecting worst-case-scenario and just going from there. I really wanted to go second round."

He got his wish.

Gelof, 22, was a three-year starter at third base for Virginia, which reached the 2021 College World Series. Gelof was named the All-College World Series team third baseman after batting .583 with two doubles, two RBIs and three runs scored in three games.

In 137 career college games, Gelof batted .316 with .396 on-base and .478 slugging percentages (.874 OPS).

"I committed when I was 15, the summer going into my sophomore year," Gelof said. "A lot of people were saying that I'll never play there, 'It's way too early.' . . . I knew from when I visited and met with the coaches that I fell in love with it and I just put my head down and instead of being complacent I was persistent in getting better.

"Not just committing there but playing every day was a goal of mine and getting back to Omaha. Now getting drafted is really cool and the next step in my career so it's really exciting."

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Gelof had 37 doubles, two triples, 16 homers and drove in 91 runs, making his bat attractive to big league clubs. His 81 hits this season led the ACC.

The 6-foot-3, 205-pound Gelof also stole 32 bases, demonstrating speed and athletic ability.

None of that is new.

When Gelof graduated from Cape Henlopen after sparking the Vikings to their first state championship in 2018, he was named state player of the year by the Delaware Baseball Coaches Association.

Playing shortstop and pitching for Cape, Gelof batted .466 with six homers, 16 RBIs and a state-leading 27 hits, 30 runs and 25 stolen bases as a senior while also going 4-0 on the mound with a 1.30 ERA.

He graduated as the state’s career leader in runs scored (103) and stolen bases (81) and his 105 hits were second to the 111 collected by Middletown’s Dale Fry (1986-89).

At Cape, Gelof was also among Delaware’s Top XI in soccer and kicked for the football team.

Gelof was chosen in the 38th round of the June, 2018, draft by Cleveland, though the franchise knew Gelof fully intended to play college baseball.

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He was joined this past year at Virginia by younger brother Jake, who batted .252 in 38 games with 29 starts, mostly at first base.

Zack Gelof was 86th in mlb.com’s pre-draft prospect rankings but was chosen higher.

"They drafted me as a third baseman. That's where they want me," Gelof, whose versatility as an infielder or potential outfielder has been mentioned in scouting reports, said of the Athletics. "I believe 100 percent that I can do it. That's part of the plan of staying super athletic and doing all that I can to stay there but also play short or second and be able to play anywhere."

The 2020 expiration of the Professional Baseball Agreement between MLB and Minor League Baseball led to the draft’s move from June to July and eliminated the short-season summer leagues where draftees often began their pro careers. MLB teams now have affiliated farm teams at just four levels – Triple-A, Double-A, Advanced A and Low A – but do field teams of entry-level prospects in Florida- and Arizona-based rookie leagues.

As a result, Gelof would likely begin in Mesa with Oakland’s Arizona Complex League team and the Stockton (California) Ports of the Low-A West could be a possible first full-season stop.

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