Zach Dezenzo #9

Graduated from Marlington HS in Alliance, Ohio, in 2018...as a senior at Marlington, was his team captain and team MVP, while also earning first team all-conference, all-county and all-district honors...was also named his conference player of the year after batting .522 with 11 doubles, three triples, a home run, 31 RBI, 34 runs scored, 18 walks and 16 stolen bases...went undrafted out of high school and went on to attend Ohio State...Played four seasons with the Buckeyes (2019-22)...combined to hit .281 (181-for-645) with 42 doubles, 38 homers, 131 RBI and a .900 OPS in 165 career games in college...played mostly shortstop in his career at OSU, but did appear in games at third base and first base...as a senior, tied the Ohio State record with 19 homers, while hitting .319 (66-for-207) with 56 RBI in 51 games...named to the Big Ten All-Freshman Team in 2019...was also a two-time Big Ten Player of the Week in 2021...Attended the 2025 College Football Playoff National Championship at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium, where Ohio State defeated Notre Dame, 34-23...Appeared with the Frederick Keys (2021) and Mahoning Valley Scrappers (2022) of the summer MLB Draft League while at Ohio State...he became the first alumnus of the MLB Draft League, which was established in 2021, to make their MLB debut...Drafted by the Astros in the 12th round of the 2022 MLB First-Year Player Draft...signed by Astros scout Scott Oberhelman...Spent the 2024-25 offseason with the Senadores de San Juan of the Puerto Rican Winter League, where he posted strong numbers, batting .379 (11-for-29) with a double and four RBI...his teammates included Astro Brice Matthews and former Astro, José Abreu...The 2026 season is his third at Major League Spring Training...is currently signed to a Major League contract for the 2026 campaign.

2025

Missed most of the 2025 season (104 games), while dealing with two injuries; left hand capsule strain and a right elbow sprain...In 34 games with the Astros, he batted .245 (24-for-98) with 17 runs, six doubles, two home runs, 10 RBI, 11 walks, one stolen bases and a .688 OPS...He set Major League career highs in games (34), runs (17), hits (24), doubles (six), RBI (10), walks, (11), stolen bases (one), batting average (.245), OBP (.321) and OPS (.688)...Of his 29 starts, he made 14 starts in left field, 11 starts in right field, three starts at DH and one start at first base...Made seven Minor League rehab appearances with Triple A Sugar Land...he batted .192 (5-for-26) with four runs, one double, two home runs, five RBI and a .676 OPS...Made his first career Opening Day roster...Recorded his first career start in the outfield on March 29 vs. NYM.

2024

Entered the year as the Astros’ top-ranked corner infield prospect and made his MLB debut following stops with Double-A Corpus Christi and Triple-A Sugar Land to begin his season...Appeared in 19 games across two MLB stints, batting .242 (15-for-62) with two doubles, two home runs and eight RBI...Made his MLB debut on Aug. 6 at TEX in a start at DH...Collected his first career hit on Aug. 7 at TEX, a double off RHP José Ureña...Hit the first homer of his career on Aug. 10 at BOS, a solo shot over the Green Monster off RHP Zack Kelly...Hit a 446-foot home run on on Sept. 27 at CLE off RHP Eli Morgan...Was the sixth-longest homer from an Astro on the season...Made the Astros’ postseason roster for their Wild Card Series vs. DET...Scored a run in his lone appearance as a pinch runner in Game 1...Appeared in 22 games with Corpus Christi before a promotion to Sugar Land on July 23...Eventually had his contract selected by the Astros on Aug. 6...Had a strong season at the Triple-A level, batting .333 (32-for-96) with eight doubles, five home runs, 20 RBI and a .998 OPS (.425 OBP/.573 SLG) in 25 games...Went 2-for-6 with a run scored, two RBI, a walk and a stolen base through two games as he helped Sugar Land clinch the PCL Championship over Reno en route to a Triple-A National Championship...He did not appear in the National Championship as he was recalled by the Astros prior to the game on Sept. 28 in Las Vegas...Began the season on the Minor League IL due to a wrist injury...Was activated to Corpus Christi on June 18 after a five-game rehab stint with the Astros’ Florida Complex League affiliate.

2023

Had a strong sophomore season in professional baseball in 2023 in which he was named an MiLB.com Organizational All-Star as a third baseman...Started his year at Class-A Asheville, where he dominated with a .407 (46-for-113) average in 31 games...Promoted to Double-A Corpus Christi, hitting .257 (63-for-245) with 12 doubles, 14 homers and 41 RBI in 63 games to finish the season...Combined to hit .304 (109-for-358) with 23 doubles, 18 homers, 61 RBI and a .914 OPS on the season...After the year, played in 16 games in the Arizona Fall League, hitting .231 (15-for-65) with five doubles, three homers and seven RBI for the Mesa Solar Sox.

2022

After being drafted in 2022, signed with the Astros on July 28...Assigned to Class A Fayetteville, where he spent his entire season...Hit .255 (26-for-102) in 27 games with the Woodpeckers.