SAN FRANCISCO — Alex Wood didn’t need to study Zack Gelof for more than a minute or two to know that the Oakland A’s have a future star on their hands.
“Just look at the guy,” Wood said. “He looks like a big leaguer for sure.”
The 6-foot-5, 205-pound Gelof is on the verge of making his first Opening Day start on Thursday.
And perhaps another thing: become the face of the A’s franchise.
“No, I talked to him today about just being Zack,” A’s manager Mark Kotsay said Tuesday. “Everything he did last year, his routines, his process, the way he works, from the time he walks into the locker room until the game is done, is the only expectation we have for him. He leads by example.”
Kotsay is clearly being careful about putting too much pressure on the 24-year-old after his dynamite rookie season in which he hit .267 with an .840 OPS while leading the team with 2.6 WAR, despite playing in only 69 games.
“Watch him play the game, watch his actions, watch him in the dugout,” Kotsay said. “He’s quiet and yet he leads. He plays the game hard. You don’t see him sitting in his locker room much during the day. You see him studying film, working out, taking care of his body. That’s just the ultimate pro.”
He’s arguably the most important player on the roster and the centerpiece of a team trying to turn the corner after back-to-back 100-loss seasons. But a year ago, he was merely the No. 3 ranked prospect in a farm system that isn’t highly-regarded.
Last February, Baseball America wrote that Gelof “has a chance to develop into a solid-average regular for the rebuilding A’s.”
After his breakout rookie year, surely the A’s are hoping for something more.
“He’s got all the tools to be an All-Star,” Kotsay said. “Sometimes the second year is a little more challenging than the first. When the league gets to know you, you have to make adjustments. That’s the biggest thing for Zack this year, being able to make adjustments.”
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Gelof said he had to make some adjustments last year, especially after he pummeled high fastballs during his first month in the big leagues, when he hit eight home runs in 25 games.
He hit just six home runs in his final 44 games.
“When you start to have success against those pitches, they change the game plan,” he said. “A lot of great hitters need to adjust all the time. I focus on what I’m good at and keep working.”
Gelof said he doesn’t consider himself a leader, but simply tries to go about his business the right way and perhaps his teammates will follow. His big rookie year hasn’t changed his own expectations for himself, which he said are more process based than based on results.
His only goal: be out there for 150 games.
“He had some good success last year, hopefully it carries over to this year,” Wood said. “He’ll be a big part of our team. He uses confidence, he knows he’s a good player but he’s also humble. It’ll be fun to see him come into his own in his first full season.”