Zach Lee
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Zachary Stephen Lee (born September 13, 1991) is an American former
professional A professional is a member of a profession or any person who work (human activity), works in a specified professional activity. The term also describes the standards of education and training that prepare members of the profession with the partic ...
baseball Baseball is a bat-and-ball games, bat-and-ball sport played between two team sport, teams of nine players each, taking turns batting (baseball), batting and Fielding (baseball), fielding. The game occurs over the course of several Pitch ...
pitcher In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throws ("Pitch (baseball), pitches") the Baseball (ball), baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of out (baseball), retiring a batter (baseball), batter, ...
. 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 (baseball), National League (NL) National League West, West Div ...
drafted him in the first round (28th overall) of the 2010 MLB June Amateur Draft and signed him for $5.25 million. He made his
Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball league composed of 30 teams, divided equally between the National League (baseball), National League (NL) and the American League (AL), with 29 in the United States and 1 in Canada. MLB i ...
(MLB) debut for the Dodgers in 2015 and also played for the
San Diego Padres The San Diego Padres are an American professional baseball team based in San Diego. The Padres compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League West, West Division. ...
in 2017.


Early life

As a senior at
McKinney High School McKinney High School (MHS) also called McKinney High is located at 1400 Wilson Creek Parkway in McKinney, Texas, and is within the McKinney Independent School District (MISD). MHS is the oldest high school in McKinney and the current building open ...
(Texas) in 2010, he won 11 games with a 2.15 ERA and 90 strikeouts. He was a highly rated
quarterback The quarterback (QB) is a position in gridiron football who are members of the offensive side of the ball and mostly line up directly behind the Lineman (football), offensive line. In modern American football, the quarterback is usually consider ...
in high school, passing for 2,565 yards and 31
touchdowns A touchdown (abbreviated as TD) is a scoring play in gridiron football. Scoring a touchdown grants the team that scored it 6 points. Whether running, passing, returning a kickoff or punt, or recovering a turnover, a team scores a touchd ...
as a senior to earn a Texas All-State Class 4A honorable mention selection and First-Team All-District 9-4A. The previous year, Lee passed for 2,935 yards and 33 touchdowns and was named District 9-4A Offensive Player of the Year as a junior.


Professional career


Los Angeles Dodgers

Lee had committed to playing baseball and football at
Louisiana State University Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, commonly referred to as Louisiana State University (LSU), is an American Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Baton Rouge, Louis ...
and enrolled in summer school. He was considered a tough signing due to his football commitment and reportedly dropped in the draft as a result. After being drafted in the first round (28th overall) of the 2010 MLB June Amateur Draft, he did sign with the Dodgers, for $5.25 million, a franchise-record signing bonus. After he signed,
Baseball America ''Baseball America'' (BA) is a sports publication company that covers baseball at every level, including Major League Baseball (MLB), with a particular focus on up-and-coming players in Minor League Baseball (MiLB) college, high school, and inte ...
listed Lee as the Dodgers second-best prospect. Lee made his debut in the Dodgers organization for the
Great Lakes Loons The Great Lakes Loons are a Minor League Baseball team of the Midwest League and the High-A affiliate of the Los Angeles Dodgers. They are located in Midland, Michigan, and play their home games at Dow Diamond, which opened in April 2007. Hist ...
in the Single–A
Midwest League The Midwest League is a Minor League Baseball league established in 1947 and based in the Midwestern United States. A Class A league for most of its history, the league was promoted to High-A as part of Major League Baseball's 2021 reorganizat ...
in 2011. On April 8, he faced the
Lake County Captains The Lake County Captains are a Minor League Baseball team in Eastlake, Ohio, a suburb of Cleveland, that plays in the Midwest League as the High-A affiliate of the Cleveland Guardians. The Captains joined the Class A Midwest League following ...
, throwing four innings with five strikeouts and three walks. He made 24 total starts for the Loons, finishing with a 9–6 record and 3.47 ERA. Lee's 2011 performance led Baseball America to list him as the best prospect in the Dodgers farm system. He was promoted to the High-A
Rancho Cucamonga Quakes The Rancho Cucamonga Quakes are a Minor League Baseball team of the California League and the Single-A affiliate of the Los Angeles Dodgers. They are located in Rancho Cucamonga, California, and play their home games at LoanMart Field. The franc ...
to start 2012. He was 2–3 with a 4.55 ERA for the Quakes in 12 starts and was promoted to the
Chattanooga Lookouts The Chattanooga Lookouts are a Minor League Baseball team of the Southern League and the Double-A affiliate of the Cincinnati Reds. They are based in Chattanooga, Tennessee, and are named for nearby Lookout Mountain. The team plays its home g ...
on June 25, 2012. Lee's debut at the Double–A level came against the
Mississippi Braves The Mississippi Braves, or M-Braves as they were referred to locally, were a Minor League Baseball team based in Pearl, Mississippi, a suburb of Jackson, from 2005 to 2024. They were the Double-A affiliate of the Atlanta Braves and competed in ...
on the next day. He pitched six innings, yielding only one run, but earned a no decision. His start with the Lookouts was slow, but Lee improved as the season went on thanks to mechanical adjustments in his pitching delivery. He finished 4–3 with a 4.25 ERA for the Lookouts. Following the season, Lee fell to fifth on Baseball America's list of Dodgers prospects. In 2013, Lee was selected to the mid-season
Southern League All-Star Game The Southern League All-Star Game was an annual baseball game sanctioned by Minor League Baseball between professional players from the teams of the Double-A Southern League. Each division, North and South, fielded a team composed of players in t ...
and finished the season 10–10 with a 3.22 ERA and 131 strikeouts in 28 games. Lee was named the Dodgers minor league pitcher of the year for 2013 and ranked fourth on the Dodgers prospect list compiled by Baseball America. Lee was invited to spring training in 2014, but started the season with the
Albuquerque Isotopes The Albuquerque Isotopes are a Minor League Baseball team of the Pacific Coast League and the Triple-A affiliate of the Colorado Rockies. They play home games at Rio Grande Credit Union Field at Isotopes Park in Albuquerque, New Mexico, at an ...
. Lee's Triple–A debut came against the
Tacoma Rainiers The Tacoma Rainiers are a Minor League Baseball team of the Pacific Coast League (PCL) and the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A affiliate of the Seattle Mariners. They are located in Tacoma, Washington, and play their home games at Cheney Stadium, ...
on April 6, 2015. He made 27 starts for the Isotopes and had a record of 7–13 with a 5.44 ERA. On November 20, 2014, the Dodgers added Lee to their
40-man roster A Major League Baseball roster is a list of players who are allowed, by league agreement, to play for a Major League Baseball (MLB) team. Each MLB team maintains two rosters: an active roster of players eligible to participate in an MLB game, an ...
in order to protect him from the
Rule 5 Draft The Rule 5 draft is a Major League Baseball (MLB) player draft that occurs each year in December, at the annual Winter Meeting of general managers. The Rule 5 draft aims to prevent teams from stockpiling too many young players on their minor lea ...
. Lee was assigned to the Dodgers new Triple–A team, the
Oklahoma City Dodgers The Oklahoma City Comets 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 ho ...
, to start 2015. He got off to a strong start in 2015 in Triple–A and put himself back on the map for the Dodgers prospects. However, he was shut down at the beginning of June as a result of experiencing tingling in his fingers. The problem was diagnosed as irritation due to poor circulation and he was put back on a throwing program. Prior to his major league debut, Lee had compiled a record of 7–3 and an ERA of 2.36 with Oklahoma City. Lee was called up to the majors for the first time on July 18, 2015, to serve as the emergency 26th man for the second game of a doubleheader against the
Washington Nationals The Washington Nationals are an American professional baseball team based in Washington, D.C. The Nationals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) East Division. They play their home games at Na ...
, though he did not appear in the game. The Dodgers promoted him again on July 25 to make his debut as the starting pitcher against the
New York Mets The New York Mets are an American professional baseball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of Queens. The Mets compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National ...
. He struggled in his debut, allowing four runs to score in the first inning and seven total in the 4 innings he pitched. He was the first Dodgers starting pitcher to allow seven runs in his debut since
Johnny Babich John Charles Babich (May 14, 1913 – January 19, 2001) was an American professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball from 1934 to 1941 for the Brooklyn Dodgers, Boston Bees and Philadelphia Athletics. Babich was of Croatian ...
in
1934 Events January–February * January 1 – The International Telecommunication Union, a specialist agency of the League of Nations, is established. * January 15 – The 8.0 1934 Nepal–Bihar earthquake, Nepal–Bihar earthquake strik ...
and the first to allow four runs or more in the first inning of his debut since Frank Wurm in
1944 Events Below, the events of World War II have the "WWII" prefix. January * January 2 – WWII: ** Free France, Free French General Jean de Lattre de Tassigny is appointed to command First Army (France), French Army B, part of the Sixt ...
. Lee was optioned back to Triple–A soon afterwards. In 19 starts for Oklahoma City, he was 11–6 with a 2.70 ERA. He was named the organization's minor league pitcher of the year for a second time. The Dodgers invited Lee to spring training again in 2016. He contended for the fifth starter spot on the major league club during spring training but was beat out by
Ross Stripling Thomas Ross Stripling (born November 23, 1989) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Los Angeles Dodgers, Toronto Blue Jays, San Francisco Giants, and Oakland Athletics. Stripling p ...
and optioned back to Triple–A. In 13 starts, he was 7–5 with a 4.89 ERA for Oklahoma City. He also spent three days on the major league roster in April but never appeared in a game.


Seattle Mariners

On June 19, 2016, Lee was traded to the
Seattle Mariners The Seattle Mariners are an American professional baseball team based in Seattle. The Mariners compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League West, West Division. The team joined the American ...
in exchange for Chris Taylor. In 14 starts for the Triple–A
Tacoma Rainiers The Tacoma Rainiers are a Minor League Baseball team of the Pacific Coast League (PCL) and the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A affiliate of the Seattle Mariners. They are located in Tacoma, Washington, and play their home games at Cheney Stadium, ...
he was 0–9 with a 7.74 ERA, while Taylor blossomed into a prolific hitter for the Dodgers. Mariners general manager
Jerry Dipoto Gerard Dipoto (born May 24, 1968) is an American baseball executive and former professional player. He is currently the president of baseball operations for the Seattle Mariners of Major League Baseball (MLB). He previously worked in front offic ...
, a prolific trader, has referred to this as one he wishes he could take back and that he "whiffed" on it.


San Diego Padres

On December 13, 2016, Lee was claimed off waivers by the
San Diego Padres The San Diego Padres are an American professional baseball team based in San Diego. The Padres compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League West, West Division. ...
. He recorded his first major league victory on April 12 against the
Colorado Rockies The Colorado Rockies are an American professional baseball team based in Denver. The Rockies compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League West, West Division. Th ...
. He was
designated for assignment Designated for assignment (DFA) is a contractual term used in Major League Baseball (MLB). A player who is designated for assignment is immediately removed from the team's 40-man roster, after which the team must, within seven days, return the pla ...
on June 19, and was released from the Padres organization on August 14, 2017.


Tampa Bay Rays

On March 16, 2018, Lee signed a minor-league contract with the
Tampa Bay Rays The Tampa Bay Rays are an American professional baseball team based in the Tampa Bay area. The Rays compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League East, East Division. They are one of two major ...
organization. Lee led the Southern League with a 2.22 ERA with 64 innings pitched and was named to the Mid season All-Star team (he did not play). He made 26 total appearances (25 starts) split between the Triple–A
Durham Bulls The Durham Bulls are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League and the Triple-A affiliate of the Tampa Bay Rays. They are located in Durham, North Carolina, and play their home games at Durham Bulls Athletic Park, which opened ...
and Double–A
Montgomery Biscuits The Montgomery Biscuits are a Minor League Baseball team based in Montgomery, Alabama. They are the Double-A affiliate of the Tampa Bay Rays and play in the Southern League. The team was founded in Orlando, Florida, in 1973 as the Orlando Twins ...
, accumulating a 12–6 record and 3.65 ERA with 107 strikeouts across innings pitched. Lee elected free agency following the season on November 2.


New York Mets

On December 18, 2018, Lee signed a minor league deal with the
New York Mets The New York Mets are an American professional baseball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of Queens. The Mets compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National ...
. On June 13, 2019, he was placed on the injured list. Prior to his injury, Lee had struggled for the Triple–A
Syracuse Mets The Syracuse Mets are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League and the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A affiliate of the New York Mets. They are located in Syracuse, New York, and play their home games at NBT Bank Stadium, which ope ...
and Double–A
Binghamton Rumble Ponies The Binghamton Rumble Ponies are an American Minor League Baseball team based in Binghamton, New York. The team, which plays in the Eastern League, is the Double-A affiliate of the New York Mets major-league club. The Rumble Ponies play in Mi ...
, sporting a 6.75 ERA in 11 starts in 13 appearances, including a 7.19 ERA in last 10 appearances before hitting the IL. He elected free agency following the season on November 4.


Oakland Athletics

On November 25, 2019, Lee signed a minor league contract with the
Oakland Athletics The Oakland Athletics (frequently referred to as the Oakland A's) were an American Major League Baseball (MLB) team based in Oakland, California from 1968 to 2024. The Athletics were a member club of the American League (AL) American League We ...
that included an invitation to spring training. He did not play in a game in 2020 due to the cancellation of the minor league season because of the
COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...
. Lee became a free agent on November 2, 2020.


Arizona Diamondbacks

On February 6, 2021, Lee signed a minor league contract with the
Arizona Diamondbacks The Arizona Diamondbacks are an American professional baseball team based in Phoenix, Arizona. The Diamondbacks compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West Division. The franchise was established ...
organization. In 17 appearances for the Triple–A
Reno Aces The Reno Aces are a Minor League Baseball team of the Pacific Coast League (PCL) and the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A affiliate of the Arizona Diamondbacks. They are located in Reno, Nevada, and play their home games at Greater Nevada Field, w ...
, Lee recorded a 6.86 ERA with 44 strikeouts. On August 10, Lee was released by the Diamondbacks.


Cincinnati Reds

On September 1, 2021, Lee signed a minor league deal with the
Cincinnati Reds The Cincinnati Reds are an American professional baseball team based in Cincinnati. The Reds compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Central Divisi ...
. Lee made 7 appearances for the Triple-A
Louisville Bats The Louisville Bats are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League (IL) and the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A affiliate of the Cincinnati Reds. They are located in Louisville, Kentucky, and are named in dual reference to the bat, wi ...
, going 1–0 with a 4.26 ERA and 17 strikeouts. He became a free agent following the season.


Colorado Rockies

On February 12, 2022, Lee signed a minor league contract with the
Colorado Rockies The Colorado Rockies are an American professional baseball team based in Denver. The Rockies compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League West, West Division. Th ...
. In 64 games out of the
bullpen In baseball, the bullpen (or simply the pen) is the area where relief pitchers warm up before entering a game. A team's roster of relief pitchers is also metonymically referred to as "the bullpen". These pitchers usually wait in the bullpen if ...
, he registered a 4–6 record and 5.14 ERA with 62 strikeouts and 12 saves across innings pitched. Lee elected free agency following the season on November 10.


References


External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Lee, Zach 1991 births Living people Baseball players from McKinney, Texas Major League Baseball pitchers Los Angeles Dodgers players San Diego Padres players Great Lakes Loons players Rancho Cucamonga Quakes players Chattanooga Lookouts players Albuquerque Isotopes players 21st-century American sportsmen Oklahoma City Dodgers players Arizona League Dodgers players Tacoma Rainiers players El Paso Chihuahuas players Montgomery Biscuits players Durham Bulls players Binghamton Rumble Ponies players Syracuse Mets players Reno Aces players Louisville Bats players