Chad Arthur Wallach (born November 4, 1991) is an American professional

baseball Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each, taking turns batting and fielding. The game occurs over the course of several plays, with each play generally beginning when a player on the fielding ...

catcher Catcher is a position in baseball and softball. When a batter takes their turn to hit, the catcher crouches behind home plate, in front of the (home) umpire, and receives the ball from the pitcher. In addition to this primary duty, the catcher ...

in the

Los Angeles Angels The Los Angeles Angels are an American professional baseball team based in the Los Angeles metropolitan area. The Angels compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) West division. Since 1966, the team ha ...

organization. He was drafted by the Marlins in the fifth round of the

2013 Major League Baseball draft The 2013 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft was held from June 6 through June 8, 2013. The first two rounds were broadcast from Studio 42 of the MLB Network in Secaucus, New Jersey. Each team received one selection per round, going in ...

, and made his MLB debut in 2017. He has previously played in MLB for the

Cincinnati Reds The Cincinnati Reds are an American professional baseball team based in Cincinnati. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) National League Central, Central division and were a charter member of ...

Miami Marlins The Miami Marlins are an American professional baseball team based in Miami. The Marlins compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) East division. The club's home ballpark is LoanDepot Park. The fra ...

and Angels.

Early life and college

Wallach grew up in

Orange, California Orange is a city located in North Orange County, California. It is approximately north of the county seat, Santa Ana. Orange is unusual in this region because many of the homes in its Old Town District were built before 1920. While many othe ...

and attended Calvary Chapel High School in Santa Ana, California. He was selected in the 43rd round of the

2013 Major League Baseball Draft The 2013 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft was held from June 6 through June 8, 2013. The first two rounds were broadcast from Studio 42 of the MLB Network in Secaucus, New Jersey. Each team received one selection per round, going in ...

, but opted not to sign in order to play

college baseball College baseball is baseball that is played on the intercollegiate level at institutions of higher education. In comparison to football and basketball, college competition in the United States plays a smaller role in developing professional pl ...

Cal State Fullerton California State University, Fullerton (CSUF or Cal State Fullerton) is a public university in Fullerton, California. With a total enrollment of more than 41,000, it has the largest student body of the 23-campus California State University (CSU) ...

. Wallach played three seasons with the Titans, hitting .272 in 102 games. As a junior, Wallach batted .309 with 24 runs scored, 14 doubles, two home runs and 32 RBIs and was drafted by the

in the fifth round of the

Professional career

Miami Marlins

Wallach signed with the Marlins and received a $343,900 bonus and began his professional career with the Short-Season Class-A

Batavia Muckdogs The Batavia Muckdogs are a collegiate summer baseball team in the Perfect Game Collegiate Baseball League (PGCBL). They are located in Batavia, New York, Batavia, a city in Genesee County, New York, United States. Their home field is Dwyer Stadiu ...

, where he hit .226/.294/.267 in 43 games and 146 at bats. He began the 2014 season with the Class A Greensboro Grasshoppers (for whom he was a mid-season

South Atlantic League The South Atlantic League, often informally called the Sally League, is a Minor League Baseball league with teams predominantly in states along the Atlantic coast of the United States from New York to Georgia. A Class A league for most of its ...

All Star) and was eventually promoted to the

Class A-Advanced High-A (officially Class High-A, formerly known as Class A-Advanced, and sometimes abbreviated "A+" in writing) is the third-highest level of play in Minor League Baseball in the United States and Canada, below Triple-A and Double-A, and abov ...

Jupiter Hammerheads The Jupiter Hammerheads are a Minor League Baseball team of the Florida State League and the Single-A affiliate of the Miami Marlins. They are located in the town of Jupiter in Palm Beach County, Florida, and play their home games at Roger Dean ...

, batting .322/.431/.457 between the two teams.

Cincinnati Reds

On December 11, 2014, the Marlins traded Wallach and Anthony DeSclafani to the

for

Mat Latos Mathew Adam Latos ( ; born December 9, 1987) is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball. He has played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the San Diego Padre ...

. In 2016 for Pensacola he batted .240/.363/.410. The Reds promoted Wallach to the major leagues for the first time on August 25, 2017. He made his Major League debut on August 27, 2017 in a 5-2 loss to the

Pittsburgh Pirates The Pittsburgh Pirates are an American professional baseball team based in Pittsburgh. The Pirates compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) National League Central, Central division. Founded as part o ...

, starting at catcher and going 0-4 with two strikeouts. Wallace got his first career hit on September 20, 2017 as a pinch hitter. During the 2017 season, Wallach played in six games for the Reds and hit .091 (1 for 11). Playing for Louisville, he batted .226/.280/.398.

Second stint with Marlins

Ramon De Jesus vs Chad Wallach (cropped)

He was claimed off waivers by the

on November 3, 2017. He began the 2018 season with the Marlins on the Opening Day roster as their backup catcher but was ultimately sent down to the Triple-A New Orleans Baby Cakes after appearing in nine games when J. T. Realmuto was activated off the disabled list. He hit .224 in 147 at bats with three home runs and 16 RBIs in 44 games, as well as .357/.438/.429 in 14 at bats for the GCL Marlins, before being called back up to the Marlins on September 1, 2018. On September 23, he hit his first career home run. He finished the season batting .178/.275/.267 with one home run and five RBIs in 15 games with the Marlins. Wallach made the Marlins opening day roster as the team's only backup catcher to start the 2019 season. In 2019 with the Marlins he batted .250/.333/.375 in 48 at bats. Playing for two minor league teams, he was 1-for-10. In 2020 for Miami, Wallach appeared in 15 regular season games, slashing .277/.364/.640 with 1 home run and 6 RBI in 44 at-bats. Wallach also played in five playoff games for the Marlins, where he lodged his first career postseason hit. Wallach made the Marlins opening day roster again in 2021. Wallach was designated for assignment by Miami on July 24, 2021, after hitting .200/.242/.267 with no home runs in 22 games. Chad Wallach (51188103986) (cropped)

Los Angeles Dodgers

On July 30, 2021, Wallach was claimed off waivers by the

Los Angeles Dodgers The Los Angeles Dodgers are an American professional baseball team based in Los Angeles. The Dodgers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. Established in 1883 in the city of Brookly ...

and assigned to the Triple-A

Oklahoma City Dodgers The Oklahoma City Dodgers are a Minor League Baseball team of the Pacific Coast League (PCL) and the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A affiliate of the Los Angeles Dodgers. They are located in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, and play their hom ...

Los Angeles Angels

On August 7, 2021, Wallach was claimed off of waivers by the

. He was assigned to the Triple-A

Salt Lake Bees The Salt Lake Bees are a Minor League Baseball team of the Pacific Coast League (PCL) and the Triple-A affiliate of the Los Angeles Angels. They are located in Salt Lake City, Utah, and play their home games at Smith's Ballpark. The ballpark op ...

. Wallach played in 39 games for the Triple-A

, hitting .223/.322/.432, and did not appear in a big league game for the Angels. He was outrighted off of the 40-man roster following the season on November 19, 2021. In 2022, he was a non-roster invitee to Angels

spring training Spring training is the preseason in Major League Baseball (MLB), a series of practices and exhibition games preceding the start of the regular season. Spring training allows new players to try out for roster and position spots, and gives estab ...

camp in

Tempe, Arizona , settlement_type = City , named_for = Vale of Tempe , image_skyline = Tempeskyline3.jpg , imagesize = 260px , image_caption = Tempe skyline as s ...

. Wallach was selected to the 40-man roster on May 7, 2022. Three days later on May 10, he caught

Reid Detmers Reid Kristien Detmers (born July 8, 1999) is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Los Angeles Angels of Major League Baseball (MLB). Detmers was born in Nokomis, Illinois and attended Nokomis High School as well as Glenwood Hig ...

' no-hitter, and also hit a 3-run homerun. On November 3, 2022, after being sent outright to Triple-A, Wallach elected free agency. On November 23, Wallach signed a minor league deal with the Angels.

Personal life

His father, Tim Wallach, played in Major League Baseball and is a former bench coach for the

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Wallach, Chad Living people 1991 births Sportspeople from Orange, California Baseball players from California Major League Baseball catchers Cincinnati Reds players Miami Marlins players Los Angeles Angels players Cal State Fullerton Titans baseball players Batavia Muckdogs players Greensboro Grasshoppers players Jupiter Hammerheads players Salt River Rafters players Daytona Tortugas players Peoria Javelinas players Pensacola Blue Wahoos players Louisville Bats players New Orleans Baby Cakes players Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp players Oklahoma City Dodgers players Salt Lake Bees players Rochester Honkers players