A's sign second-round Draft pick Gelof

July 25th, 2021

SEATTLE -- The A’s agreed to terms on Saturday with University of Virginia third baseman Zack Gelof, their second-round pick in the 2021 MLB Draft.

Gelof confirmed the signing through his Twitter account, sending out an enthusiastic message expressing his excitement:

Gelof, 21, was projected by some Draft experts as a first-round pick, possessing some of the best raw power of any college bat in the Draft class. MLB Pipeline’s Jim Callis likened his offensive profile to an Adam Duvall-type bat, while also comparing him to the Braves' Austin Riley.

Callis first reported Gelof’s signing, which came with a signing bonus of $1,157,400, the full slot value for the No. 60 pick.

Gelof, who played alongside his younger brother, Jake, at Virginia last season, earned an All-ACC selection after hitting .312 with nine homers, 18 doubles and 41 RBIs in 63 games. Over three seasons at Virginia, Gelof slashed .316/.396/.478 in 137 games.

“He’s very athletic for how physical he is,” A’s scouting director Eric Kubota said. “We think he’s got a chance to be a really good hitter. He performed decently at Virginia, but we think there’s a lot of upside with the bat. We think the power is untapped, and he’s just kind of freakishly athletic for how big he is.”

With Gelof the remaining Draft pick to sign, the A’s have now signed all 20 of their selections from this year’s Draft, while also agreeing to terms with two non-drafted free agents.