Zachary John-William Brzykcy (BRIK-see,[1] born July 12, 1999) is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Washington Nationals of Major League Baseball (MLB). He made his MLB debut in 2024.
| Zach Brzykcy | |
|---|---|
| Washington Nationals – No. 66 | |
| Relief pitcher | |
| Born: July 12, 1999 Hickory, North Carolina, U.S. | |
Bats: Right Throws: Right | |
| MLB debut | |
| September 1, 2024, for the Washington Nationals | |
| MLB statistics (through September 21, 2024) | |
| Win–loss record | 0–0 |
| Earned run average | 14.29 |
| Strikeouts | 4 |
| Teams | |
| |
Career
editBrzykcy attended Alexander Central High School in Taylorsville, North Carolina, where he was named Northwestern Conference Pitcher of the Year in 2017.[2] He went on to attend Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, where he was the regular closer for the Hokies.[3] He also played in the Cape Cod Baseball League during the summer of 2019, leading the league that summer with seven saves for the Falmouth Commodores.[4][5] With the 2020 Major League Baseball draft shortened to just five rounds, despite ranking as the 180th-best draft prospect in 2020 according to MLB Pipeline,[3] Brzykcy went undrafted. Brzykcy was scouted by longtime Washington Nationals scout Bobby Myrick and chose to sign with the Nationals as an undrafted free agent on July 1, 2020.[6] He did not play in a game in 2020 due to the cancellation of the minor league season because of the COVID-19 pandemic.[7]
In 2021, Brzykcy spent the year with the High–A Wilmington Blue Rocks. He earned his first win on May 12, 2021, striking out seven in four scoreless relief innings.[2] In 28 appearances, Brzykcy compiled a 6–4 record and 5.20 ERA with 86 strikeouts across 62+1⁄3 innings pitched.[8] He split the 2022 campaign between Wilmington, the Double–A Harrisburg Senators, and Triple–A Rochester Red Wings. In 51 appearances out of the bullpen for the three affiliates, Brzykcy registered an 8–2 record and 1.76 ERA with 95 strikeouts and 14 saves over 61+1⁄3 innings.[9] Brzykcy underwent Tommy John surgery in April 2023, and missed the entirety of the season as a result.[10]
On November 14, 2023, the Nationals added Brzykcy to their 40-man roster to protect him from the Rule 5 draft. He was optioned to the Triple–A Rochester Red Wings to begin the 2024 season.[11] On September 1, 2024, Brzykcy was promoted to the major leagues for the first time.[12]
Pitching style
editOn the mound, Brzykcy is a right-handed pitcher noted for a fastball that has been clocked up to 100 miles per hour (160 km/h), although it typically registers in the mid-90s. He complements that primary pitch with a sharp breaking ball.[4]
References
edit- ^ https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2023/01/12/zach-brzykcy-nationals-player-development/
- ^ a b Gilbert, Richard C. (May 13, 2021). "Brzykcy Gets First Professional Win". Apple City Broadcasting. Retrieved May 17, 2021.
- ^ a b Newman, Stephen (July 2, 2020). "Virginia Tech Pitcher Zach Brzykcy Signs with the Washington Nationals". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved May 17, 2021.
- ^ a b Kerr, Byron (July 2, 2020). "Brzykcy brings 100 mph fastball to future Nats bullpen". MASN Sports. Retrieved May 17, 2021.
- ^ "#38 Zachary Brzykcy". pointstreak.com. Retrieved July 20, 2021.
- ^ Driver, David (October 13, 2020). "Virginia Tech pitcher Zach Brzykcy part of Nationals' 2020 NDFA class..." Federal Baseball. Retrieved May 17, 2021.
- ^ "2020 Minor League Baseball season cancelled". mlb.com. Retrieved September 22, 2024.
- ^ "Zach Brzykcy - Baseball Stats". thebaseballcube.com. Retrieved September 22, 2024.
- ^ "Zach Brzykcy Stats & Scouting Report". baseballamerica.com. Retrieved September 22, 2024.
- ^ "Undrafted Brzykcy to continue improbable rise after Tommy John surgery". masnsports.com. Retrieved September 22, 2024.
- ^ "Nationals' Zach Brzykcy: Optioned to Rochester". cbssports.com. March 16, 2024.
- ^ "Nationals add Darren Baker, son of ex-manager Dusty Baker". ESPN.com. September 1, 2024. Retrieved September 1, 2024.
External links
edit- Career statistics from MLB, or ESPN, or Fangraphs, or Baseball Reference (Minors)