MESA, Ariz. -- The outlook for the Athletics around this time last year was that if they were going to take a step forward in their rebuild, Zack Gelof was going to be a key figure in that process following his breakout 2023 rookie campaign.
The A’s did make progress in 2024, improving upon their ‘23 win total by 19 games and finishing 39-37 over their final 76 games. Gelof, however, took somewhat of a step back.
Coming off a debut season in which he hit .267 with an .841 OPS, 14 home runs, 20 doubles, 32 RBIs and 14 stolen bases in 69 games, Gelof entered ‘24 with high expectations as a potential cornerstone player for the A’s.
Instead, Gelof got off to a slow start, landed on the injured list for the first time in his career with an oblique strain, and spent most of the year constantly tinkering with his approach and searching for answers at the plate. The end result was the second baseman hitting just .211 with a .632 OPS and leading all American League hitters with 188 strikeouts.
“Looking back on it, it hurts,” Gelof said of his ‘24 campaign. “I’ll never lose that feeling of the failure that I had last year. But I own it. I feel like it’s only going to make me better.”
Even through the struggles, though, the A’s were pleased with how Gelof handled those difficulties.
“I think there’s a lot of growth that can come from a year like Zack had,” manager Mark Kotsay said. “For a young player to go through the year he went through and to handle it the way he did, I couldn’t be more proud of that. It’s not easy to show up every day and be the same guy. I felt that he was the same with his preparation. He was still a good teammate. He still tried to impact the game every night. If it wasn’t with his bat, it was with his glove or his baserunning.”
There were some flashes of why the A’s remain high on the 25-year-old. He showed off his dynamic athleticism with 17 home runs and 25 stolen bases. Gelof was also one of the better defenders at his position. Among qualified AL second basemen, he ranked second in both UZR (3.9) and fielding percentage (.988) last season.
For 2025, the goal for Gelof is to get back to that consistency at the plate from his rookie year.
Working closely with director of hitting Darren Bush this spring, he is working on making some adjustments at the plate. Gelof did not want to get into specifics about the changes he is working on, though a quick study of his at-bats from last year to this spring will show that he has altered his stance a bit. His hand positioning is now slightly farther away from his body, which should help give his swing a clearer path to the ball.
“You’re always working,” Gelof said. “There was definitely a change that needed to be addressed. I’m just doing the best of my ability to address it and be a better player because of it.”
The early returns are encouraging. Through his first five Cactus League games, Gelof is hitting .333 (4-for-12) with a home run, a double and five RBIs.
“Coming back from an offseason when he’s made adjustments, it’s going to be difficult to start out with live pitching,” Kotsay said. “The at-bats have been getting better, and that’s a good sign.”
The A’s already expect to have a potent offense with a top-half featuring some mix of Lawrence Butler, Brent Rooker, JJ Bleday and Shea Langeliers. A’s No. 1 prospect Jacob Wilson should also provide a boost with his impressive bat-to-ball skills.
But what would this lineup look like if Gelof can return to that exciting ‘23 form?
“He would definitely lengthen our lineup,” Kotsay said. “The production we got from him [in ‘23] where he was at the top of the lineup really helped. … Even with the struggles he went through last year, having that defense and baserunning can still be valuable.”
For Gelof, there is no ‘if’ about it.
“It’s going to be a different year,” Gelof said. “For sure.”