Seby Zavala

{{Infobox baseball biography

|name = Seby Zavala

|image = Seby Zavala (48529639256) (cropped).jpg

|caption = Zavala with the Charlotte Knights in 2019

|team = Boston Red Sox

|number =

|position = Catcher

|birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1993|8|28}}

|birth_place = Fort Hood, Texas, U.S.

|bats = Right

|throws = Right

|debutleague = MLB

|debutdate = May 25

|debutyear = 2019

|debutteam = Chicago White Sox

|statleague = MLB

|statyear = 2024 season

|stat1label = Batting average

|stat1value = .205

|stat2label = Home runs

|stat2value = 15

|stat3label = Runs batted in

|stat3value = 56

|teams =

Chicago White Sox ({{mlby|2019}}, {{mlby|2021}}–{{mlby|2023}})
Arizona Diamondbacks ({{mlby|2023}})
Seattle Mariners ({{mlby|2024}})

| highlights =

}}

Bernardo Sebastian Zavala (born August 28, 1993) is an American professional baseball catcher in the Boston Red Sox organization. He has previously played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Chicago White Sox, Arizona Diamondbacks, and Seattle Mariners.

Amateur career

Zavala attended Bishop Amat High School in La Puente, California. His high school baseball team won its league title in 2010 and 2011, with Zavala hitting .321 his senior season. He then played college baseball at San Diego State University.{{Cite web |title=Seby Zavala - Baseball 2015 |url=https://goaztecs.com/sports/baseball/roster/season/2015/player/seby-zavala |access-date=2024-11-11 |website=San Diego State Aztecs |language=en-US}} He missed the 2013 season due to Tommy John surgery.{{Cite web |last=Kenney |first=Kirk |date=February 23, 2015 |title=SDSU's Spencer Thornton, Seby Zavala are better for experience after enduring Tommy John surgery |url=http://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/sports/aztecs/sdut-sdsu-baseball-spencer-thornton-seby-zavala-2015feb23-story.html |access-date=August 9, 2018 |website=The San Diego Union-Tribune}} In his junior season in 2015, he led the Aztecs with 14 home runs, 67 RBI, and a .936 on-base plus slugging.{{Cite web |title=2015 San Diego State Aztecs - Statistics, Rosters - The Baseball Cube |url=https://www.thebaseballcube.com/content/stats_college/2015~20001/ |access-date=2024-11-11 |website=www.thebaseballcube.com}} He was named the MVP of the Mountain West Conference tournament.{{Cite web |title=Seby Zavala Baseball Statistics + Biography - The Baseball Cube |url=https://www.thebaseballcube.com/content/player/167809/ |access-date=2024-11-11 |website=www.thebaseballcube.com}}

Professional career

=Chicago White Sox=

Zavala was selected by the Chicago White Sox in the 12th round of the 2015 Major League Baseball draft.{{Cite web |last=Contreras |first=Kim |date=March 21, 2016 |title=Seby Zavala – Year One | FutureSox |url=http://www.chicagonow.com/future-sox/2016/03/seby-zavala-year-one/ |access-date=August 9, 2018 |website=Chicago Now}} He received a $100,000 signing bonus. Zavala made his professional debut that summer with the Arizona League White Sox, batting .326/.401/.628 with four home runs and 35 RBIs in 35 games. He spent 2016 with the Kannapolis Intimidators where he batted .253 with seven home runs and 49 RBIs in 93 games. He played for Kannapolis and the Winston-Salem Dash in 2017, hitting a combined .282 with 21 home runs, 72 RBIs and an .851 OPS in 107 games with the two teams.{{Cite web |title=Seby Zavala Stats, Highlights, Bio - MiLB.com Stats - The Official Site of Minor League Baseball |url=https://www.milb.com/player/seby-zavala-664874 |access-date=May 4, 2018 |publisher=Minor League Baseball}} After the 2017 season, he played in the Arizona Fall League.{{Cite web |last=Mayo |first=Jonathan |date=May 24, 2018 |title=White Sox Seby Zavala, Tito Polo thrive in AFL |url=https://www.mlb.com/news/white-sox-seby-zavala-tito-polo-thrive-in-afl/c-258499000 |access-date=August 9, 2018 |website=MLB.com}} Zavala was invited to spring training by the White Sox in 2018 and started the season with the Birmingham Barons.{{Cite web |last=Van Schouwen |first=Daryl |date=February 15, 2018 |title=Catcher Seby Zavala 'excited' about first White Sox camp |url=https://chicago.suntimes.com/sports/catcher-seby-zavala-excited-about-first-white-sox-camp/ |access-date=August 9, 2018 |website=Chicago Sun-Times}} He was promoted to the Triple-A Charlotte Knights in June.{{Cite web |title=Seby Zavala College, Minor & Fall Leagues Statistics |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=zavala000seb |access-date=2024-11-11 |website=Baseball-Reference.com |language=en}}

After the 2018 season, the White Sox added Zavala to their 40-man roster to protect him from the Rule 5 draft.{{Cite web |last=Van Schouwen |first=Daryl |date=November 20, 2018 |title=White Sox add Dylan Cease to 40-man roster ahead of Rule 5 Draft |url=https://chicago.suntimes.com/sports/white-sox-add-dylan-cease-to-40-man-roster-ahead-of-rule-5-draft/ |access-date=December 14, 2018 |website=suntimes.com}} He returned to the Charlotte Knights to begin 2019. On May 25, 2019, he was called up from Charlotte following an injury to Welington Castillo.{{Cite web |last=Van Schouwen |first=Daryl |date=May 25, 2019 |title=Welington Castillo on concussion list; White Sox recall catcher Seby Zavala |url=https://chicago.suntimes.com/white-sox/2019/5/25/18639699/white-sox-bringing-up-catcher-seby-zavala |access-date=May 29, 2019 |website=Chicago Sun Times}} He made his major league debut that day versus the Minnesota Twins. He got his first career MLB hit and only hit of the 2019 season on May 31, hitting a single against Cleveland. Zavala played in five White Sox games in 2019, striking out in 9 of his 12 at bats.{{Cite web |title=Seby Zavala 2019 Batting Game Logs |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/gl.fcgi?id=zavalse01&t=b&year=2019 |access-date=2024-11-11 |website=Baseball-Reference.com |language=en}}

Zavala did not play in an official game in the shortened 2020 season, spending the summer at the White Sox alternate training site in Schaumberg.{{Cite web |title=Seby Zavala Stats, Age, Position, Height, Weight, Fantasy & News |url=https://www.mlb.com/player/seby-zavala-664874?msockid=245d1f4349e6666c2baf0a4e484567c0 |access-date=2024-11-11 |website=MLB.com |language=en}} Zavala was assigned to Charlotte to begin the 2021 season.{{Cite web |date=September 14, 2021 |title=White Sox's Seby Zavala: Optioned to Triple-A |url=https://www.cbssports.com/fantasy/baseball/news/white-soxs-seby-zavala-optioned-to-triple-a/ |access-date=June 3, 2022 |website=CBSSports.com |language=en}} On July 6, 2021, Zavala was recalled by the White Sox after Yasmani Grandal was placed on the 10-day IL.{{Cite web |last=Franco |first=Anthony |date=July 6, 2021 |title=Yasmani Grandal Out Four To Six Weeks With Knee Injury |url=https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2021/07/yasmani-grandal-out-four-to-six-weeks-with-knee-injury.html |access-date=July 6, 2021 |website=MLB Trade Rumors}} On July 31, in his 18th major league game, Zavala became the first player to hit his first three home runs in the same game, doing so in a 12–11 loss to the Cleveland Indians. He hit his first two off of Triston McKenzie, one of them a grand slam, then hit his third off of Bryan Shaw.{{Cite web |date=July 31, 2021 |title=White Sox's Seby Zavala becomes first to hit first 3 home runs in same game |url=https://theathletic.com/news/white-soxs-seby-zavala-becomes-first-to-hit-first-3-home-runs-in-same-game/uRqoq3hw8AaN/ |access-date=June 3, 2022 |website=The Athletic |language=en}}

On April 7, 2022, Zavala was sent outright to Triple-A Charlotte Knights.{{Cite web |date=April 7, 2022 |title=White Sox's Seby Zavala: Outrighted to Triple-A |url=https://www.cbssports.com/fantasy/baseball/news/white-soxs-seby-zavala-outrighted-to-triple-a/ |access-date=June 3, 2022 |website=CBSSports.com |language=en}} On June 12, Zavala's contract was selected and he was called up to the major leagues following another injury to Grandal.{{cite web |url=https://www.mlb.com/whitesox/roster/transactions |title=White Sox Roster & Staff – Transactions |website=MLB.com |date=June 2022 |access-date=June 12, 2022}} In 61 games for the White Sox, he slashed .270/.347/.382 with two home runs and 21 RBI.

In 66 games for Chicago in 2023, Zavala batted .155/.207/.304 with a career–high 7 home runs and 16 RBI. On September 4, 2023, Zavala was designated for assignment by the White Sox.{{Cite web|title=White Sox's Seby Zavala: Loses 40-man spot|url=https://www.cbssports.com/fantasy/baseball/news/white-soxs-seby-zavala-loses-40-man-spot/|access-date=September 6, 2023|website=cbssports.com|date=September 4, 2023 |language=en}}

=Arizona Diamondbacks=

On September 6, 2023, Zavala was claimed off waivers by the Arizona Diamondbacks.{{Cite web|title=Diamondbacks' Seby Zavala: Claimed by Diamondbacks|url=https://www.cbssports.com/fantasy/baseball/news/diamondbacks-seby-zavala-claimed-by-diamondbacks/|access-date=September 6, 2023|website=cbssports.com|date=September 6, 2023 |language=en}} Zavala appeared in 7 games for Arizona down the stretch, including one scoreless inning as a pitcher, but he was not eligible for the team's postseason roster because he was acquired after September 1.{{cite web |url=https://www.mlb.com/news/d-backs-postseason-faq-2023 |title=D-backs postseason FAQ: What's next? |work=MLB.com |first=Steve |last=Gilbert |date=October 3, 2023 |access-date=October 6, 2023}}

=Seattle Mariners=

On November 22, 2023, Zavala and pitcher Carlos Vargas were traded to the Seattle Mariners for Eugenio Suárez.{{cite web |date=November 22, 2023 |title=Mariners Acquire C Seby Zavala and RHP Carlos Vargas from Arizona |url=https://marinersblog.mlblogs.com/mariners-acquire-c-seby-zavala-and-rhp-carlos-vargas-from-arizona-a8ae1bd2d7f0 |accessdate=November 22, 2023 |website=Seattle Mariners |publisher= |via=Medium}} In 18 games for Seattle in 2024, he hit .154/.214/.282 with one home run and two RBI. On June 18, Zavala was designated for assignment by the Mariners.{{Cite web |last=Adams |first=Steve |date=June 22, 2024 |title=Mariners Designate Seby Zavala For Assignment |url=https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2024/06/mariners-designate-seby-zavala-for-assignment.html |access-date=June 18, 2024 |website=mlbtraderumors.com |language=en}} He cleared waivers and was sent outright to the Triple–A Tacoma Rainiers on June 22.{{Cite web|title=Mariners' Seby Zavala: Outrighted to Tacoma|url=https://www.cbssports.com/fantasy/baseball/news/mariners-seby-zavala-outrighted-to-tacoma/amp/|access-date=June 22, 2024|website=cbssports.com|language=en}} On July 2, the Mariners purchased Zavala's contract, adding him back to the major league roster.{{Cite web|title=Mariners Select Seby Zavala, Sign Chris Devenski|url=https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2024/07/mariners-select-seby-zavala-sign-chris-devenski.html|access-date=July 6, 2024|website=Minor League Baseball|language=en}} However, he did not appear in any games and was designated for assignment again on July 6.{{Cite web|title=Mariners Designate Seby Zavala For Assignment|url=https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2024/07/mariners-designate-seby-zavala-for-assignment-2.html|access-date=July 6, 2024|website=mlbtraderumors.com|language=en}} Zavala cleared waivers and returned to Tacoma via outright assignment on July 8.{{Cite web|title=Mariners Outright Seby Zavala|url=https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2024/07/mariners-outright-seby-zavala.html|access-date=July 10, 2024|website=mlbtraderumors.com|language=en}} On September 10, the Mariners selected Zavala's contract.{{Cite web|title=Mariners Place Luis Castillo On Injured List|url=https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2024/09/mariners-place-luis-castillo-on-injured-list.html|access-date=September 14, 2024|website=mlbtraderumors.com|language=en}} He again did not appear for Seattle before he was designated for assignment on September 13.{{Cite web|title=Mariners Recall Emerson Hancock, DFA Seby Zavala|url=https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2024/09/mariners-recall-emerson-hancock-dfa-seby-zavala.html|access-date=September 14, 2024|website=mlbtraderumors.com|language=en}} Zavala cleared waivers and returned to Tacoma via outright assignment on September 16.{{Cite web|title=Mariners Outright Seby Zavala|url=https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2024/09/mariners-outright-seby-zavala-2.html|access-date=September 17, 2024|website=mlbtraderumors.com|language=en}} He elected free agency on October 2.{{Cite web |date=2024-10-03 |title=11 Players Elect Free Agency |url=https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2024/10/11-players-elect-free-agency.html |access-date=2024-11-11 |website=MLB Trade Rumors |language=en-US}}

=Boston Red Sox=

On November 20, 2024, Zavala signed a minor league contract with the Boston Red Sox.{{Cite web|title=Red Sox Agree To Minor League Deals With Seby Zavala, Nate Eaton|url=https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2024/11/red-sox-sign-seby-zavala-nate-eaton.html|access-date=November 20, 2024|website=mlbtraderumors.com|language=en}}