Tony Zych
{{Short description|American baseball player (born 1990)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=June 2025}}
{{Infobox baseball biography
|name=Tony Zych
|team=
|number=
|image=Tony Zych on the mound vs Philadelphia (35551280636) (cropped).jpg
|caption=Zych with the Seattle Mariners
|image_size=
|position=Pitcher
|bats=Right
|throws=Right
|birth_date={{birth date and age|1990|8|7}}
|birth_place=Monee, Illinois, U.S.
|debutleague = MLB
|debutdate=September 4
|debutyear=2015
|debutteam=Seattle Mariners
|finalleague = MLB
|finaldate=August 19
|finalyear=2017
|finalteam=Seattle Mariners
| statleague = MLB
| stat1label = Win–loss record
| stat1value = 7–3
| stat2label = Earned run average
| stat2value = 2.72
| stat3label = Strikeouts
| stat3value = 80
|teams=
- Seattle Mariners ({{mlby|2015}}–{{mlby|2017}})
}}
Anthony Aaron Zych ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|z|ɪ|k}}; born August 7, 1990) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He pitched for the Seattle Mariners of Major League Baseball from 2015 through 2017. Zych is notable as the last player in alphabetical order among all of those who have ever played major league baseball.
Amateur career
Zych is from Monee, Illinois. He traveled {{convert|35|mi}} each way from Monee to attend St. Rita of Cascia High School in Chicago, Illinois, due to the higher level of competition offered in the Chicago Catholic League than he would have faced if he attended Crete-Monee High School. He played for the school's baseball team as a second baseman, and also occasionally served as their closing pitcher. As a senior, Zych had a .410 batting average and a 9–2 win–loss record.{{cite web| url = https://www.nwitimes.com/sports/other/professional/locals-looking-forward-to-mlb-draft/article_c8357b99-f774-5e1c-bc32-79d1aef6d073.html| title = Locals looking forward to MLB draft {{!}} Sports {{!}} nwitimes.com| date = June 5, 2008}}
After graduating from high school, the Chicago Cubs selected Zych in the 46th round of the 2008 Major League Baseball draft. He opted not to sign, and instead enrolled at the University of Louisville, where he played college baseball for the Louisville Cardinals. Competing in the Cape Cod Baseball League for the Bourne Braves in 2010, Zych received the league's Outstanding Relief Pitcher and Outstanding Pro Prospect awards.{{cite web|url=http://www.russell-publications.com/articles/3866/monees-zych-selected-by-cubs |title=Monee's Zych Selected By Cubs | Russell Publications Online |publisher=Russell-publications.com |date=June 16, 2011 |access-date=February 16, 2014}}{{cite web|url=https://baseball.pointstreak.com/player.html?playerid=56438&seasonid=239 |title=#22 Tony Zych |publisher=pointstreak.com |accessdate=July 20, 2021}} He served as the closer for Louisville.{{cite web|url=http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2012-10-26/sports/ct-spt-1027-arizona-fall-league--20121027_1_tony-zych-double-a-tennessee-cubs |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121031153305/http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2012-10-26/sports/ct-spt-1027-arizona-fall-league--20121027_1_tony-zych-double-a-tennessee-cubs |url-status=dead |archive-date=October 31, 2012 |title=Tony Zych: St. Rita grad trying to make his way onto Chicago Cubs roster – Chicago Tribune |publisher=Articles.chicagotribune.com |date=October 26, 2012 |access-date=February 16, 2014}}
Professional career
=Chicago Cubs=
The Chicago Cubs drafted Zych in the fourth round, with the 129th overall selection, of the 2011 Major League Baseball draft, and he signed. The Cubs assigned Zych to the Boise Hawks of the Low–A Northwest League in 2011.{{cite web|last=Lycklama |first=Michael |url=https://www.idahostatesman.com/sports/article156443879.html |title=Boise Hawks baseball: top players in the first 30 years |publisher=Idaho Statesman |date=June 15, 2017 |access-date=August 29, 2018}} He began the 2012 season with the Daytona Cubs of the High–A Florida State League, and was promoted to the Tennessee Smokies of the Double–A Southern League.{{cite web|url=http://www.csnchicago.com/cubs/cubs-prospect-zych-fast-track-big-leagues |title=Cubs prospect Zych on the fast track to the big leagues |publisher=CSN Chicago |date=January 26, 2013 |access-date=February 16, 2014}} After the 2012 season, the Cubs assigned Zych to the Mesa Solar Sox of the Arizona Fall League, where he had a 1.29 ERA in seven games. He returned to Tennessee in 2013, and had a 5–5 win–loss record and a 3.05 earned run average (ERA). He returned to Tennessee in 2014, and had a 4–5 win–loss record with a 5.09 ERA.{{cite web|url=http://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/daily-southtown/sports/ct-sta-pat-disabato-column-st-1004-20151002-story.html |title=St. Rita graduate Tony Zych makes his mark with Seattle Mariners – Daily Southtown |publisher=Chicagotribune.com |date=July 17, 2018 |access-date=August 29, 2018}}
=Seattle Mariners=
On April 2, 2015, at the end of spring training, the Cubs traded Zych to the Seattle Mariners in exchange for a player to be named later or cash considerations in the amount of $1. The Cubs eventually chose the dollar over a player.{{cite web|url=https://www.seattletimes.com/sports/mariners/reliever-tony-zych-proving-to-be-quite-the-bargain-for-mariners/ |title=$1 reliever Tony Zych proving to be quite the bargain for Mariners |publisher=The Seattle Times |date= February 22, 2016|access-date=August 29, 2018}} In 2015, Zych pitched for the Double–A Jackson Generals of the Southern League and the Tacoma Rainiers of the Triple–A Pacific Coast League. Between the two teams, he pitched to a 2.98 ERA with 55 strikeouts in {{frac|48|1|3}} total innings.{{cite web | last=Reinke | first=Ed | title=Seattle Mariners notebook: Tony Zych revels in his new-found niche in baseball history | website=Tacoma News Tribune | date=September 5, 2015 | url=https://www.thenewstribune.com/sports/mlb/seattle-mariners/article34206618.html | access-date=October 5, 2023}} The Mariners promoted him to the major leagues for the first time on September 1, 2015.{{cite web|url=http://www.theolympian.com/sports/mlb/seattle-mariners/mariners-insider-blog/article33218964.html|title=Mariners promote four players from Tacoma|work=theolympian|access-date=September 5, 2015}} He made his major league debut on September 4.{{cite web|url=https://www.sportingnews.com/us/mlb/news/tony-zych-major-league-debut-alphabetical-listing/1al61nlpjuhzlz9k1o188ld24|title=Beginning and end: Tony Zych makes history with MLB debut|last=Gatto|first=Tom|date=September 5, 2015|work=Sporting News|access-date=January 11, 2023}} He had a 2.45 ERA with 24 strikeouts in {{frac|18|1|3}} innings pitched for Seattle. {{as of|2023}}, Zych's name ranks last alphabetically among the 19,000-plus to play in the major leagues.{{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/z/|title=Baseball-Reference.com – Baseball Players with Last Names Starting with Z |access-date=January 11, 2023}}
Zych began the 2016 season with the Mariners, and allowed four earned runs in 12 innings pitched in April. After an appearance on May 1, 2016, Zych went on the disabled list with tendinitis in his right rotator cuff.{{cite web|last=Johns |first=Greg |url=https://www.mlb.com/news/mariners-place-injured-pitcher-tony-zych-on-dl/c-176004426 |title=Mariners place injured pitcher Tony Zych on DL |work=MLB.com |date=May 24, 2018 |access-date=August 29, 2018}} He rested the shoulder until August. He made two appearances for the Mariners towards the end of the season, before he was shut down due to the shoulder pain During the 2016–17 offseason, he had a biceps tendon transfer surgery in his shoulder: a surgery that had never before been performed in an MLB player.{{cite web | last=Brashear | first=Stephen | title=Mariners notebook: Zych's return represents a medical breakthrough | website=Tacoma News Tribune | date=April 18, 2017 | url=https://www.thenewstribune.com/sports/mlb/seattle-mariners/mariners-insider-blog/article145338824.html | access-date=October 5, 2023}} He missed ten games of the 2017 season in April while recovering from the offseason shoulder surgery, and went on the disabled list in August 2017 with an elbow strain.{{cite web|last=Thompson |first=Jaylon |url=https://www.mlb.com/news/mariners-place-zych-on-dl-recall-altavilla/c-249979994 |title=Mariners place Zych on DL, recall Altavilla |work=MLB.com |date=May 24, 2018 |access-date=August 29, 2018}} Through 2017, Zych pitched to a 7–3 win–loss record and 2.72 ERA. He missed much of the 2016 and 2017 seasons with elbow and shoulder injuries. Again limited by injuries during spring training in 2018, the Mariners released Zych on March 10, 2018.{{cite web|last=Johns |first=Greg |url=https://www.mlb.com/mariners/news/mariners-roster-moves-zych-rumbelow-moore/c-268391452 |title=Mariners roster moves Zych Rumbelow Moore | Seattle Mariners |work=Mlb.com |date=May 24, 2018 |access-date=August 29, 2018}}
=New York Yankees=
On February 12, 2020, Zych signed a minor league contract with the New York Yankees. Zych did not play in a game in 2020 due to the cancellation of the minor league season because of the COVID-19 pandemic.{{Cite web|title=2020 Minor League Season Canceled|url=https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2020/06/2020-minor-league-season-will-be-canceled.html|website=mlbtraderumors.com|date=June 30, 2020 |language=en}} He became a free agent on November 2.{{Cite web|title=Full List of 2020-2021 MiLB Free Agents|url=https://www.baseballamerica.com/stories/full-list-of-2020-2021-milb-free-agents/|access-date=September 27, 2024|website=baseballamerica.com|date=November 2, 2020 |language=en}}
References
{{reflist}}
External links
{{Baseballstats |mlb=543964 |espn=32182 |br=z/zychto01 |fangraphs=12876 |brm=zych-001ton |retro=Z/Pzycht001}}
- {{Twitter|TAZ_Zych|Tony Zych}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Zych, Tony}}
Category:Arizona League Cubs players
Category:Arizona League Mariners players
Category:Bourne Braves players
Category:Jackson Generals (Southern League) players
Category:Louisville Cardinals baseball players
Category:Major League Baseball pitchers
Category:Mesa Solar Sox players
Category:Seattle Mariners players