Zach DeLoach Stats & Scouting Report

AB	67
AVG	.209
OBP	.293
SLG	.328
HR	1

Full name Zachary Dixon DeLoach
Born 08/18/1998 in Irving, TX
Profile Ht.: 6'0" / Wt.: 205 / Bats: L / Throws: R
School Texas A&M
Drafted in the 2nd round (43rd overall) by the Seattle Mariners in 2020 (signed for $1,729,800).

View Draft Report

Perhaps no one could have used a full 2020 season more than DeLoach. After hitting .236/.338/.338 over his first two years with Texas A&M, DeLoach exploded in the Cape Cod League. With Falmouth, DeLoach hit .353/.428/.541 with five home runs and eight stolen bases. Coaches said DeLoach got some early confidence after having success and just kept rolling throughout the summer, faring particularly well against same-side lefthanded pitchers. He kept that up through 17 games in 2020, hitting .421/.547/.789 with six home runs and six stolen bases (both career highs) with 14 walks to just three strikeouts. Having that sort of loud offensive production against SEC competition could have shot him up into the second or even potentially the first round. DeLoach has a solid all-around tool set, but perhaps no plus tools. He has always shown a solid approach with good discipline at the plate, but scouts think he might have a bit of a grooved swing without a ton of bat speed. He dives in on pitches aggressively and there are questions about how his lower half works, but evaluators also didn’t get a full season to really figure out if the adjustments he made over the summer were real. Scouts think DeLoach has fringe power more than average or 55-grade juice, but he was off to a much better start in that department in 2020 and had bulked up a bit as well. Now listed at 6-foot-1, 210 pounds, DeLoach fits best in a corner-outfield spot as a solid runner with solid-average arm strength, though some scouts believe he needs to refine his route-running.

Top Rankings

Organization Prospect Rankings

BA Grade: 45/Medium

Track Record: DeLoach struggled to hit his first two seasons at Texas A&M before breaking out with Falmouth in the Cape Cod League. He started his junior year hot before the coronavirus pandemic ended the season, leading the Mariners to draft him 43rd overall. DeLoach steadily produced at each level before delivering his best season in 2023. He batted .286 and set career highs with 23 home runs, 88 RBIs and an .868 OPS at Triple-A Tacoma. The Mariners added him to the 40-man roster in November.

Scouting Report: DeLoach is a steady player who does everything well if nothing spectacularly. He’s a patient hitter who identifies pitches well and rarely chases outside the strike zone. DeLoach added loft to his swing to hit for more power and saw his strikeouts spike as a result, but he has enough plate discipline and barrel feel to be an adequate, albeit fringy, hitter. He improved against lefties (.306, .905 OPS) to quiet concerns about being limited to a platoon. DeLoach’s power is fringy, but he knows which pitches to attack and has improved at getting the ball in the air. He crushes fastballs in particular. DeLoach is an average runner and has improved to be an average defender in the outfield. His below-average arm fits best in left field, but he can fill in at all three spots.

The Future: DeLoach’s lefthanded bat and ability to do a little bit of everything give him a chance to stick as a reserve outfielder. His major league debut should come in 2024.

Scouting Grades Hit: 45 | Power: 45 | Run: 50 | Field: 50 | Arm: 40
BA Grade/Risk: 45/High

Track Record: DeLoach struggled his first two seasons at Texas A&M but parlayed a strong showing in the Cape Cod League into a breakout junior year before the pandemic prematurely ended the season. The Mariners believed in DeLoach's breakout and drafted him in the second round, No. 43 overall, and signed him for $1,729,800. DeLoach rose rapidly to Double-A Arkansas in his pro debut, but he plateaued at the level in 2022. He posted a .258 batting average and .778 OPS for the Travelers, almost exactly league average in both categories.

Scouting Report: DeLoach is a solid player who does many things well but nothing exceptional. His best trait is his ability to recognize pitches and control the strike zone from the left side. He's a patient hitter who consistently puts together high-quality at-bats and doesn't chase, leading to high walk totals and solid on-base percentages. DeLoach has a sound lefthanded swing that makes a fair amount of contact, especially against fastballs, but he mostly hits the ball on the ground. His power is fringy at best and he'll need to drive the ball more to be an average hitter. He struggles against same-side pitching and fits best as part of a platoon. DeLoach is limited to a corner outfield spot defensively as a fringe-average runner whose range and reads need improvement. His below-average arm fits best in left field.

The Future: DeLoach projects to be a platoon outfielder with his ability to make contact and get on base against righthanded pitching. He'll open at Triple-A Tacoma in 2023.

Scouting Grades: Hit: 50. Power: 40. Speed: 50. Fielding: 45. Arm: 40.
Track Record: DeLoach scuffled his first two seasons at Texas A&M before breaking out in the Cape Cod League prior to his junior year. He carried his success into the following spring and was off to a hot start before the coronavirus pandemic canceled the 2020 college season. The Mariners drafted him in the second round and signed him for $1,729,800. DeLoach continued his upward trend in his pro debut, rising to Double-A and finishing in the top five in the Mariners’ organization in hits, runs, doubles, walks and total bases.

Scouting Report: DeLoach has elite pitch recognition and is rarely fooled. He identifies pitches early, stays in the strike zone and drives the ball with a simple, direct lefthanded swing. He hits both righthanders and lefthanders and projects to be an above-average hitter who draws lots of walks. DeLoach doesn’t pack much power, but he has improved at getting the ball in the air and has a chance to reach 14-18 home runs at his peak. He is just a fair athlete and needs to improve his range and reads in the outfield to become an average defender. His average speed and below-average arm strength profile best in left field.

The Future: DeLoach’s ability to get on base gives him a chance to be an everyday player similar to Seth Smith. He’ll see Triple-A Tacoma in 2022.
TRACK RECORD: DeLoach boosted his draft stock with a strong Cape Cod League in 2019 and was off to a good start at Texas A&M before the early end to the 2020 season. That performance led the Mariners to draft him 43rd overall and sign him for $1,729,800. DeLoach reported to the alternate training site in the summer and instructional league in the fall, when he was part of a starting outfield with Julio Rodriguez and Taylor Trammell.

SCOUTING REPORT: DeLoach stands out for his pure hitting ability. He has a sound swing, good strikezone awareness and swings at the right pitches. He rarely strikes out and draws lots of walks. With no other carrying tools, DeLoach's upside will be determined by how much he hits. He has fringe-average raw power and will need to get to it with what is now a line-drive swing. He's an average runner and defender, with a tick below-average arm, and needs to improve his routes in the outfield. He may not have enough range to be a regular in center field, which puts more pressure on his power to emerge.

THE FUTURE: DeLoach could begin 2021 at high Class A. His power production will determine if he has a chance to be regular.

Draft Prospects

Perhaps no one could have used a full 2020 season more than DeLoach. After hitting .236/.338/.338 over his first two years with Texas A&M, DeLoach exploded in the Cape Cod League. With Falmouth, DeLoach hit .353/.428/.541 with five home runs and eight stolen bases. Coaches said DeLoach got some early confidence after having success and just kept rolling throughout the summer, faring particularly well against same-side lefthanded pitchers. He kept that up through 17 games in 2020, hitting .421/.547/.789 with six home runs and six stolen bases (both career highs) with 14 walks to just three strikeouts. Having that sort of loud offensive production against SEC competition could have shot him up into the second or even potentially the first round. DeLoach has a solid all-around tool set, but perhaps no plus tools. He has always shown a solid approach with good discipline at the plate, but scouts think he might have a bit of a grooved swing without a ton of bat speed. He dives in on pitches aggressively and there are questions about how his lower half works, but evaluators also didn’t get a full season to really figure out if the adjustments he made over the summer were real. Scouts think DeLoach has fringe power more than average or 55-grade juice, but he was off to a much better start in that department in 2020 and had bulked up a bit as well. Now listed at 6-foot-1, 210 pounds, DeLoach fits best in a corner-outfield spot as a solid runner with solid-average arm strength, though some scouts believe he needs to refine his route-running.
DeLoach got bigger and stronger for his senior season and retooled his swing, which has made him a somewhat different player than the one scouts watched last summer. He now has a Josh Donaldson-esque leg kick as opposed to the simpler approach he used last summer. It's added to his average power potential, but at the expense of some of the copious amounts of contact he's shown before. His added strength has also led him to slow down, making it more likely that the once above-average but now average runner will end up as a corner outfielder. He has an average arm that may hold up in right field.

Scouting Reports

BA Grade/Risk: 45/High

Track Record: DeLoach struggled his first two seasons at Texas A&M but parlayed a strong showing in the Cape Cod League into a breakout junior year before the pandemic prematurely ended the season. The Mariners believed in DeLoach's breakout and drafted him in the second round, No. 43 overall, and signed him for $1,729,800. DeLoach rose rapidly to Double-A Arkansas in his pro debut, but he plateaued at the level in 2022. He posted a .258 batting average and .778 OPS for the Travelers, almost exactly league average in both categories.

Scouting Report: DeLoach is a solid player who does many things well but nothing exceptional. His best trait is his ability to recognize pitches and control the strike zone from the left side. He's a patient hitter who consistently puts together high-quality at-bats and doesn't chase, leading to high walk totals and solid on-base percentages. DeLoach has a sound lefthanded swing that makes a fair amount of contact, especially against fastballs, but he mostly hits the ball on the ground. His power is fringy at best and he'll need to drive the ball more to be an average hitter. He struggles against same-side pitching and fits best as part of a platoon. DeLoach is limited to a corner outfield spot defensively as a fringe-average runner whose range and reads need improvement. His below-average arm fits best in left field.

The Future: DeLoach projects to be a platoon outfielder with his ability to make contact and get on base against righthanded pitching. He'll open at Triple-A Tacoma in 2023.

Scouting Grades: Hit: 50. Power: 40. Speed: 50. Fielding: 45. Arm: 40.
BA Grade/Risk: 45/High

Track Record: DeLoach struggled his first two seasons at Texas A&M but parlayed a strong showing in the Cape Cod League into a breakout junior year before the pandemic prematurely ended the season. The Mariners believed in DeLoach's breakout and drafted him in the second round, No. 43 overall, and signed him for $1,729,800. DeLoach rose rapidly to Double-A Arkansas in his pro debut, but he plateaued at the level in 2022. He posted a .258 batting average and .778 OPS for the Travelers, almost exactly league average in both categories.

Scouting Report: DeLoach is a solid player who does many things well but nothing exceptional. His best trait is his ability to recognize pitches and control the strike zone from the left side. He's a patient hitter who consistently puts together high-quality at-bats and doesn't chase, leading to high walk totals and solid on-base percentages. DeLoach has a sound lefthanded swing that makes a fair amount of contact, especially against fastballs, but he mostly hits the ball on the ground. His power is fringy at best and he'll need to drive the ball more to be an average hitter. He struggles against same-side pitching and fits best as part of a platoon. DeLoach is limited to a corner outfield spot defensively as a fringe-average runner whose range and reads need improvement. His below-average arm fits best in left field.

The Future: DeLoach projects to be a platoon outfielder with his ability to make contact and get on base against righthanded pitching. He'll open at Triple-A Tacoma in 2023.

Scouting Grades: Hit: 50. Power: 40. Speed: 50. Fielding: 45. Arm: 40.
BA Grade: 45/High

Track Record: DeLoach scuffled his first two seasons at Texas A&M before breaking out in the Cape Cod League prior to his junior year. He carried his success into the following spring and was off to a hot start before the coronavirus pandemic canceled the 2020 college season. The Mariners drafted him in the second round and signed him for $1,729,800. DeLoach continued his upward trend in his pro debut, rising to Double-A and finishing in the top five in the Mariners&#39 organization in hits, runs, doubles, walks and total bases.

Scouting Report: DeLoach has elite pitch recognition and is rarely fooled. He identifies pitches early, stays in the strike zone and drives the ball with a simple, direct lefthanded swing. He hits both righthanders and lefthanders and projects to be an above-average hitter who draws lots of walks. DeLoach doesn&#39t pack much power, but he has improved at getting the ball in the air and has a chance to reach 14-18 home runs at his peak. He is just a fair athlete and needs to improve his range and reads in the outfield to become an average defender. His average speed and below-average arm strength profile best in left field.

The Future: DeLoach&#39s ability to get on base gives him a chance to be an everyday player similar to Seth Smith. He&#39ll see Triple-A Tacoma in 2022.
Track Record: DeLoach scuffled his first two seasons at Texas A&M before breaking out in the Cape Cod League prior to his junior year. He carried his success into the following spring and was off to a hot start before the coronavirus pandemic canceled the 2020 college season. The Mariners drafted him in the second round and signed him for $1,729,800. DeLoach continued his upward trend in his pro debut, rising to Double-A and finishing in the top five in the Mariners’ organization in hits, runs, doubles, walks and total bases.

Scouting Report: DeLoach has elite pitch recognition and is rarely fooled. He identifies pitches early, stays in the strike zone and drives the ball with a simple, direct lefthanded swing. He hits both righthanders and lefthanders and projects to be an above-average hitter who draws lots of walks. DeLoach doesn’t pack much power, but he has improved at getting the ball in the air and has a chance to reach 14-18 home runs at his peak. He is just a fair athlete and needs to improve his range and reads in the outfield to become an average defender. His average speed and below-average arm strength profile best in left field.

The Future: DeLoach’s ability to get on base gives him a chance to be an everyday player similar to Seth Smith. He’ll see Triple-A Tacoma in 2022.
TRACK RECORD: DeLoach boosted his draft stock with a strong Cape Cod League in 2019 and was off to a good start at Texas A&M before the early end to the 2020 season. That performance led the Mariners to draft him 43rd overall and sign him for $1,729,800. DeLoach reported to the alternate training site in the summer and instructional league in the fall, when he was part of a starting outfield with Julio Rodriguez and Taylor Trammell.

SCOUTING REPORT: DeLoach stands out for his pure hitting ability. He has a sound swing, good strikezone awareness and swings at the right pitches. He rarely strikes out and draws lots of walks. With no other carrying tools, DeLoach's upside will be determined by how much he hits. He has fringe-average raw power and will need to get to it with what is now a line-drive swing. He's an average runner and defender, with a tick below-average arm, and needs to improve his routes in the outfield. He may not have enough range to be a regular in center field, which puts more pressure on his power to emerge.

THE FUTURE: DeLoach could begin 2021 at high Class A. His power production will determine if he has a chance to be regular.
TRACK RECORD: DeLoach boosted his draft stock with a strong Cape Cod League in 2019 and was off to a good start at Texas A&M before the early end to the 2020 season. That performance led the Mariners to draft him 43rd overall and sign him for $1,729,800. DeLoach reported to the alternate training site in the summer and instructional league in the fall, when he was part of a starting outfield with Julio Rodriguez and Taylor Trammell.

SCOUTING REPORT: DeLoach stands out for his pure hitting ability. He has a sound swing, good strikezone awareness and swings at the right pitches. He rarely strikes out and draws lots of walks. With no other carrying tools, DeLoach's upside will be determined by how much he hits. He has fringe-average raw power and will need to get to it with what is now a line-drive swing. He's an average runner and defender, with a tick below-average arm, and needs to improve his routes in the outfield. He may not have enough range to be a regular in center field, which puts more pressure on his power to emerge.

THE FUTURE: DeLoach could begin 2021 at high Class A. His power production will determine if he has a chance to be regular.
Perhaps no one could have used a full 2020 season more than DeLoach. After hitting .236/.338/.338 his first two years at Texas A&M, DeLoach exploded in the Cape Cod League last summer. He hit .353/.428/.541 with five home runs and eight stolen bases for Falmouth, and coaches attributed it to him gaining confidence after having early success. DeLoach kept it up this spring, batting .421/.547/.789 with six home runs and six stolen bases (both career highs) along with 14 walks against just three strikeouts before the seaosn shut down. DeLoach has a solid all-around tool set, but perhaps no plus tools. He has always shown a solid approach with good discipline at the plate, but scouts think he has a bit of a grooved swing without a ton of bat speed. He dives in on pitches and there are questions about how his lower half works, but evaluators also didn’t get a full season to really figure out if the adjustments he made over the summer were real. DeLoach has fringe power more than average or 55-grade juice, but he was off to a much better start in that department in 2020 and had bulked up a bit as well. Now listed at 6-foot-1, 210 pounds, DeLoach fits best in a corner-outfield spot as a solid runner with solid-average arm strength, though some scouts believe he needs to refine his route-running.