Zelous Lamar Wheeler (born January 16, 1987) is an American former professional

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 ...

third baseman A third baseman, abbreviated 3B, is the player in baseball or softball whose responsibility is to defend the area nearest to third base — the third of four bases a baserunner must touch in succession to score a run. In the Baseball scorekeep ...

and

right fielder A right fielder, abbreviated RF, is the outfielder in baseball or softball who plays defense in right field. Right field is the area of the outfield to the right of a person standing at home plate and facing towards the pitcher's mound. In the ...

. He previously played in NPB for the

Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles The , often shortened as the , are a baseball team based in Sendai, Miyagi Prefecture, Japan. It has played in Nippon Professional Baseball's Pacific League since the team's formation in November 2004. The team is owned by the Internet shopping ...

and

Yomiuri Giants The are a Japanese professional baseball team competing in Nippon Professional Baseball's Central League. Based in Bunkyo, Tokyo, they are one of two professional baseball teams based in Tokyo, the other being the Tokyo Yakult Swallows. They h ...

and in

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) for the

New York Yankees The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Am ...

. Wheeler played baseball at Childersburg High School and Wallace State Community College. The

Milwaukee Brewers The Milwaukee Brewers are an American professional baseball team based in Milwaukee. The Brewers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Central Di ...

selected him in the 19th round of the

2007 Major League Baseball Draft The 2007 Major League Baseball draft, was an annual choosing of high school and college baseball players, held on June 7, 2007 and June 8, 2007. The first day session of the draft included the first 25 rounds and was scheduled to be broadcast "l ...

. He was added to the Brewers'

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 ...

after the 2011 season, but was

waived A waiver is the voluntary relinquishment or surrender of some known right or privilege. A waiver is often written, such as a disclaimer that has been accepted, but it may also be spoken between two or more parties. When the right to hold a p ...

before the 2012 season began. Claimed by the

Baltimore Orioles The Baltimore Orioles (also known as the O's) are an American professional baseball team based in Baltimore. The Orioles compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East Division. As one of the America ...

, he played in their farm system in 2012 and 2013, before signing as a

free agent In professional sports, a free agent is a player or manager who is eligible to sign with other clubs or franchises; i.e., not under contract to any specific team. The term is also used in reference to a player who is under a contract at present ...

with the

before the 2014 season. After starting the season in the minor leagues, Wheeler made his MLB debut on July 3, 2014.

Career

Amateur career

From

Sylacauga, Alabama Sylacauga is a city in Talladega County, Alabama, United States. At the 2020 census, the population was 12,578. Sylacauga is known for its fine white marble bedrock. This was discovered shortly after settlers moved into the area and has bee ...

, Wheeler attended Childersburg High School, where he played

and

American football American football, referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada and also known as gridiron football, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular American football field, field with goalposts at e ...

. A

linebacker Linebacker (LB) is a playing position in gridiron football. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and typically line up three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage and so back up the defensive linemen. They play closer to the line ...

for the football team, Wheeler was named among the best players of the state of

Alabama Alabama ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Deep South, Deep Southern regions of the United States. It borders Tennessee to the north, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gu ...

. He received offers to play

college football College football is gridiron football that is played by teams of amateur Student athlete, student-athletes at universities and colleges. It was through collegiate competition that gridiron football American football in the United States, firs ...

from several Division II schools, including

Jacksonville State University Jacksonville State University (JSU or Jax State) is a public university in Jacksonville, Alabama, United States. Founded in 1883, Jacksonville State offers programs of study in six academic schools leading to bachelor's degree, bachelor's, mas ...

Miles College Miles College is a private historically black college in Fairfield, Alabama. Founded in 1898, it is associated with the Christian Methodist Episcopal Church (CME Church) and a member of the United Negro College Fund. History Miles College b ...

, and Livingston College. He chose instead to enroll at Wallace State Community College in

Hanceville, Alabama Hanceville is a city in Cullman County, Alabama, United States. At the 2020 census, the population was 3,217. History Founded in Blount County, Hanceville was established in 1832 and incorporated in May 1879. At the time of Cullman County's ...

, where he played

college baseball College baseball is baseball that is played by Student athlete, student-athletes at institutions of higher education. In the United States, college baseball is sanctioned mainly by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA); in Japan, ...

. His teammates included Derek Holland,

Craig Kimbrel Craig Michael Kimbrel (born May 28, 1988) is an American professional baseball pitcher in the Texas Rangers organization. He has previously played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Atlanta Braves, San Diego Padres, Boston Red Sox, Chicago ...

, and Jake Elmore. In 2006, Wallace State won the

Alabama Community College Conference The Alabama Community College Conference (ACCC) is a collegiate athletic conference located in the U. S. state of Alabama. It is a member of the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA), representing NJCAA Region 22. Member schools T ...

championship, and finished third in the

National Junior College Athletic Association The National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) is the governing association of community college, state college, and junior college athletics throughout the United States. Currently the NJCAA holds 24 separate regions across 24 states ...

World Series The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball (MLB). It has been contested since between the champion teams of the American League (AL) and the National League (NL). The winning team, determined through a best- ...

. In 2007, Wheeler shifted from

third base A third baseman, abbreviated 3B, is the player in baseball or softball whose responsibility is to defend the area nearest to third base — the third of four bases a baserunner must touch in succession to score a run. In the scoring system us ...

shortstop Shortstop, abbreviated SS, is the baseball positions, baseball or softball fielding position between second base, second and third base, which is considered to be among the Defensive spectrum, most demanding defensive positions. Historically, the ...

for the Lions.

Professional career

Milwaukee Brewers

The

selected Wheeler in the 19th round of the

. He signed and played for the

Helena Brewers The Helena Brewers were a Minor League Baseball team in the Pioneer League located in Helena, Montana, from 1978 to 2018. The team played their home games at Kindrick Legion Field, which was built in 1939. They were affiliated with the Milwaukee ...

of the

Rookie-level Minor League Baseball (MiLB) is a professional baseball organization below Major League Baseball (MLB), constituted of teams affiliated with MLB clubs. It was founded on September 5, 1901, in response to the growing dominance of the National L ...

Pioneer League. He played for the

West Virginia Power The Charleston Dirty Birds are an United States, American professional baseball team based in Charleston, West Virginia. They are a member of the South Division of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball, a MLB Partner League, partner league ...

of the Class A

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 h ...

in 2008, and the

Brevard County Manatees The Brevard County Manatees were a minor league baseball team of the Class A-Advanced Florida State League from 1994 to 2016. They were based in Viera, Florida, Viera, Florida, and played their home games at Space Coast Stadium. The team left Brev ...

of 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 (baseball), Triple-A and D ...

Florida State League The Florida State League (FSL) is a Minor League Baseball league based in the state of Florida. Having been classified at various levels throughout its existence, it operated at Class A-Advanced from 1990 until its demotion to Single-A following ...

in 2009, being named an

All-Star An all-star team is a group of people all having a high level of performance in their field. Originating in sports, it has since drifted into vernacular and has been borrowed heavily by the entertainment industry. Sports "All-star" as a sport ...

in both seasons. In 2010, Wheeler played shortstop for the

Huntsville Stars The Huntsville Stars were a Minor League Baseball team that played in Huntsville, Alabama, from 1985 to 2014. They competed in the Southern League as the Double-A affiliate of Major League Baseball's Oakland Athletics from 1985 to 1998 and Milw ...

of the

Class AA Double-A (officially Class AA) is the second-highest level of play in Minor League Baseball in the United States since 1946, below only Triple-A. There are currently 30 teams classified at the Double-A level, one for each team in Major League B ...

Southern League. However, he committed 32 errors. In 2011, Wheeler began the season with the

Nashville Sounds The Nashville Sounds are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League and the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A affiliate of the Milwaukee Brewers. They are located in Nashville, Tennessee, Nashville, Tennessee, and are named for the ci ...

of the

Class AAA Triple-A (officially Class AAA) has been the highest level of play in Minor League Baseball in the United States since 1946. Currently, two leagues operate at the Triple-A level, the International League (IL) and the Pacific Coast League (PCL). ...

Pacific Coast League The Pacific Coast League (PCL) is a Minor League Baseball league that operates in the Western United States. Along with the International League, it is one of two leagues playing at the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A level, which is one grade bel ...

, but missed two months due to an injured

posterior cruciate ligament The posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) is a ligament in each knee of humans and various other animals. It works as a counterpart to the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL). It connects the posterior intercondylar area of the tibia to the Medial condyl ...

. He played for both Nashville and Huntsville in 2011. After the 2011 season, Wheeler was assigned to the

Arizona Fall League The Arizona Fall League (AFL) is an off-season baseball league owned and operated by Major League Baseball (MLB) which operates during autumn in Arizona, United States, at six different baseball complexes. Arizona Fall League rosters are filled ...

. He began to catch bullpen sessions. The Brewers also added him to their

to protect him from being selected in 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 ...

. However, the Brewers signed Aramis Ramírez to a three-year contract to become the Brewers' third basemen, blocking Wheeler. In

spring training Spring training, also called spring camp, is the preseason of the Summer Professional Baseball Leagues, such as Major League Baseball (MLB), and it is a series of practices and exhibition games preceding the start of the regular season. Spri ...

in 2012, Wheeler competed with Taylor Green and Brooks Conrad for a reserve role as an infielder. He began to work out at

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 catc ...

to increase his versatility.

Baltimore Orioles

At the end of spring training, the Brewers

Wheeler, and he was claimed by the

, who assigned him to the

Norfolk Tides The Norfolk Tides are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League and the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A affiliate of the Baltimore Orioles. They are located in Norfolk, Virginia, and are named in nautical reference to the city's loc ...

of the Class AAA

International League The International League (IL) is a Minor League Baseball league that operates in the United States. Along with the Pacific Coast League, it is one of two leagues playing at the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A level, which is one grade below Major ...

. While playing for the

Bowie Baysox The Chesapeake Baysox are a Minor League Baseball team located in Bowie, Maryland. They are the Double-A affiliate of the Baltimore Orioles, and play in the Eastern League. Their home ballpark is Prince George's Stadium. From 1993 to 2024, th ...

of the Class AA Eastern League in May 2012, the Orioles designated Wheeler for assignment, removing him from their 40-man roster, as they added

Dana Eveland Dana James Eveland (born October 29, 1983) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Milwaukee Brewers, Arizona Diamondbacks, Oakland Athletics, Toronto Blue Jays, Pittsburgh Pirates, L ...

. He cleared waivers, and was assigned to Bowie. In the offseason, Wheeler played for the

Algodoneros de Guasave The Algodoneros de Guasave () are a professional baseball team in the Mexican Pacific League (LMP) based in Guasave, Sinaloa. They won the league championship in 1972. The original team was purchased in April 2014 by a group of investors led by ...

in the

Mexican Pacific League The Mexican Pacific League (, or LMP), also known as the Liga ARCO Mexicana del Pacífico for sponsorship reasons, is a professional baseball Winter league baseball, winter league based in Northwestern Mexico. The league comprises 10 teams. It wa ...

(MPL). Wheeler played for Norfolk in 2013. Playing for Guasave in the 2013–14 offseason, Wheeler was named player of the week on November 11. He finished the MPL season tied for second in

home run In baseball, a home run (abbreviated HR) is scored when the Baseball (ball), ball is hit in such a way that the batting (baseball), batter is able to circle the bases and reach home plate safe (baseball), safely in one play without any error ( ...

s and third in

runs batted in A run batted in or runs batted in (RBI) is a statistic in baseball and softball that credits a batter for making a play that allows a run to be scored (except in certain situations such as when an error is made on the play). For example, if th ...

(RBIs).

New York Yankees

Wheeler signed a minor league contract with the

, receiving an invitation to spring training in 2014. In camp, Wheeler competed with Eduardo Núñez, Yangervis Solarte, Dean Anna, and Scott Sizemore for a reserve infielder role with the Yankees. The Yankees promoted Anna, and assigned Wheeler to minor league camp. The Yankees assigned Wheeler to the

Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders The Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders, often abbreviated to SWB RailRiders, are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League (IL) and the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A affiliate of the New York Yankees. They are located in Moosic, Pen ...

of the International League to start the 2014 season. Wheeler suffered a back injury on April 10, and went on the

disabled list In Major League Baseball (MLB), the injured list (IL) is a method for teams to remove their injured players from the roster in order to summon healthy players. Before the 2019 Major League Baseball season, 2019 season, it was known as the disabl ...

(DL). After missing 18 days, he returned to bat .299 with seven home runs in 66 games. On July 2, 2014, the Yankees promoted Wheeler to the major leagues. Making his major league debut the next day, Wheeler got his first major league hit, a home run, in his second at bat. Wheeler batted 8-for-30 (.267) with two home runs and three RBIs in 16 games for the Yankees, before he was optioned to Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on August 1 following the Yankees acquisitions of Martín Prado and

Stephen Drew Stephen Oris Drew (born March 16, 1983) is an American former professional baseball infielder. He played 12 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Arizona Diamondbacks, Oakland Athletics, Boston Red Sox, New York Yankees and Washington Na ...

. The Yankees recalled Wheeler on August 21, when they placed

Carlos Beltrán Carlos Iván Beltrán (; born April 24, 1977) is a Puerto Rican former professional baseball outfielder. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) as an outfielder from 1998 to 2017 for the Kansas City Royals, Houston Astros, New York Mets, San F ...

on the DL with an elbow injury.

Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles

On November 20, 2014, the Yankees sold Wheeler to the

Nippon Professional Baseball is a professional baseball league and the highest level of baseball in Japan. Locally, it is often called , meaning simply ''Professional Baseball''; outside of Japan, NPB is often referred to as "Japanese baseball". The roots of the league ...

Pacific League The , or , or the , due to sponsorship reasons, is one of the two professional baseball leagues constituting Nippon Professional Baseball in Japan. The winner of the league championship competes against the winner in the Central League for the a ...

. In 2015, Wheeler slashed .255/.339/.453 with 14 home runs and 50 RBI for the team. The next year, Wheeler improved his performance, slashing .265/.351/.478 with a staggering 27 home runs and 88 RBI. In 2017, Wheeler batted .271/.343/.493 with 31 home runs and 82 RBI. Wheeler signed a two-year contract extension worth ¥400 million (approximately $3.5 million) in October 2017, the deal includes incentives and a club option for the 2020 season. In 2018, Wheeler hit .269/.337/.432 with 15 home runs and 58 RBI in 106 games. In 117 games for the Eagles in 2019, Wheeler batted .243/.320/.418 with 19 home runs and 67 RBI. On December 3, 2019, Wheeler signed a 1-year extension to remain with the Eagles.

Yomiuri Giants

On June 25, 2020, Wheeler was traded to the

for pitcher Shun Ikeda. In 98 games for Yomiuri, Wheeler batted .247/.309/.418 with 12 home runs and 36 RBI. On December 26, 2021, Wheeler re-signed with the Giants for the 2022 season. On April 18, 2022, Wheeler was sent down to the Giants' farm team after hitting .160 in 13 games.

Coaching career

On December 20, 2022, Wheeler took a front office advisory role with the

Personal life

Wheeler has a younger brother, Brian, who also plays baseball. His father, Sam, owns a landscaping business and supervises at an aquarium. Two of Wheeler's uncles, Dameian Jeffries and Marcus Knight, played in the

National Football League The National Football League (NFL) is a Professional gridiron football, professional American football league in the United States. Composed of 32 teams, it is divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National ...

. On July 25, 2015, Wheeler and his wife had a son.

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Wheeler, Zelous 1987 births Living people African-American baseball players Algodoneros de Guasave players American expatriate baseball players in Mexico American expatriate baseball players in Japan Bowie Baysox players Brevard County Manatees players Helena Brewers players Huntsville Stars players Major League Baseball third basemen Naranjeros de Hermosillo players Nashville Sounds players New York Yankees players Nippon Professional Baseball third basemen Norfolk Tides players People from Childersburg, Alabama People from Sylacauga, Alabama Baseball players from Talladega County, Alabama Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders players Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles players Wallace State Lions baseball players West Virginia Power players Yomiuri Giants players 21st-century American sportsmen 21st-century African-American sportsmen