Prospects On Deck
Prospects On Deck: RHP Zack Weiss – Reds
Righty is off to a good start in Advanced Class-A
One of the things that makes writing for a site like Legends on Deck, is the ability to learn about players that you may not know about if they aren’t on the team where your loyalties are. It can be a daunting task at times to narrow it down with the amount of talent that is out on the diamond on any given night. Checking box scores becomes a daily routine just looking for the next guy. Well I may have found him with Zack Weiss.
Weiss was originally drafted out of high school in the 10th round by the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2010. Instead of signing with the Pirates, Weiss went on to UCLA where he would spend three years before being drafted again. This time the Cincinnati Reds came calling a bit earlier in the sixth round, and Weiss would begin his professional career.
The first two seasons of professional ball, Weiss would spend time as a starter and a reliever, before switching over to strictly relief appearances last season. Up until 2015, Weiss compiled a 4-8 record while playing rookie ball for the Arizona League Reds and the Billings Mustangs of the Pioneer League, and 2014 with the Class-A Dayton Dragons of the Midwest League.
In 2014, the 6’3 righty appeared in 34 games with Dayton posting a 2-4 record with an ERA of 2.42. He tallied 80 strikeouts over 63.1 innings of work which is good for an 11.4 K/9 rate.
Sure the 2015 season is only a couple weeks old, but what Weiss has done so far in his small sample size in a higher league is something to keep your eye on. Now playing for the Daytona Tortugas in the Florida State League (Class-A Advanced), Weiss has been sitting them down at a very noticeable rate. He has appeared in just five games so far, but in his 7.1 innings of work he has yet to allow a hit and has only walked one. Out of the 22 batters he has faced so far, he sat 15 of them down via strikeout. If the 11.4 K/9 rate was impressive last season, the 18.4 K/9 rate this season is incredible.
Weiss has finished four of the five games he has appeared in so far recording two saves. Daytona is currently sitting in first place of the North Division of the FSL with a 9-5 record.
John Ginder
John has recently graduated from the University at Albany with a B.A. in History and is currently finishing his Master's Degree there as well in secondary education. After being away from school for over two decades he decided to go back and work towards his dream of becoming a social studies teacher.
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