Zach Robert Plesac...On Twitter: @ZPlesac...Nickname is Sac...Joined his uncle Dan Plesac in collecting their first Major League wins vs. the Yankees, and their first losses against the White Sox...Supports the Boys & Girls Club of Cleveland through his foundation, Plesac’s Pals, focusing on promoting a healthy lifestyle through yoga, outdoor activities, and educational programs for Cleveland-area youth...Three-year letter winner at Crown Point HS (IN) where he also played basketball and football...Set a school record for most receptions in a single season...Played three seasons at Ball State, earning 2014 MAC Freshman of the Year honors, Collegiate Baseball National Freshman Pitcher of the Year honors and all-MAC...Also named Louisville Slugger All-America Third Team...At one point in sophomore year threw four straight complete games...Junior year was cut short due to reconstructive right elbow surgery in early May...Also made 27 starts as a position player for the Cardinals...Uncle, Dan, appeared in 1,064 games over 18 seasons from 1986-2003 (Brewers, Cubs, Pirates, Blue Jays, Diamondbacks, Phillies), ranking seventh all-time in career games pitched...Favorite movie is Savages (2012)...Favorite music artist is Drake...Favorite athlete is Allen Iverson...Favorite road stadium is T-Mobile Park (SEA)...Favorite TV show is 1883...Likes to travel and golf in his free time...Originally signed by Cleveland scout Junie Melendez.
2023
Made third career Opening Day roster with Cleveland...Tossed seven innings and surrendered two runs on five hits, one walk and six strikeouts in longest Major League start of the season on April 9 vs. SEA...Optioned to Triple-A Columbus on May 4, where he spent the rest of the season, posting a 6.08 ERA (94.2 IP - 64 ER) across 19 outings (18 starts)...Pitched a complete game (7 inn.) in the first leg of a doubleheader against the Iowa Cubs on May 6 in first appearance since being optioned (7.0 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 6 SO).
2022
Posted a 4.31 ERA in 25 games/24 starts (63ER/131.2IP), missing a month on the IL with a fractured right hand suffered on Aug. 27 at Seattle…Was on the IL from Aug. 30-Sept. 30. Missing 30 games (made rehab start at Columbus on Sept. 21)…His season-high 7.0 IP in that start at Seattle snapped a career-long seven-game losing streak…Did not post a win from June 6-Aug. 26...His 2.87 RS of support-per-9.0IP was the sixth-lowest mark by a Cleveland hurler since 1974 (min. 100.0IP) and lowest since since Carlos Carrasco (2.75RSA) in 2014 (min. 100.0IP)…Marked the third-lowest run support average among MLB hurlers this season (min. 100.0IP) behind KC Brad Heller (2.58) and WSH Patrick Corbin (2.83)…Received more than four runs of support just once this season (5R, June 11 vs. Oakland)…was provided with one-or-fewer runs of support in 14 starts and zero runs in six starts...Rattled off a career-high seven consecutive quality starts, May 30-July 4, going 1-2 with a 2.14 ERA (10ER/36.0IP) in that span; marked the sixth-lowest qualified ERA among AL hurlers over that stretch...The streak of QS was second longest on the club to Shane Bieber’s 11 straight, July 29-Sept. 22...Posted the third-lowest ERA in the AL in June (2.10) behind TB Shane McClanahan (1.36) and HOU Justin Verlander (2.04)…Had a 2.79 ERA in 13G/12GS vs. the AL Central (21ER/67.2IP) despite a 1-5 record…Batters hit .391 (34/87) off him with RISP and .348 (16/46) with RISP-two outs. Since debuting in 2019, has excelled at limiting opposing base-stealers, allowing just six stolen bases in his career (5CS), T7th-fewest among AL hurlers since 2019 (min. 250.0IP)…Remains the AL leader in pickoffs since 2019 with 10 (tied with TOR José Berríos, recorded one in 2022)…Worked in relief for the first time in his career in his final regular season outing, Oct. 4 vs. KC, and tossed a scoreless inning in his postseason debut vs. NYY in Game 4 of the ALDS (Oct. 16).
2021
The 27-year-old right hander finished second on the club in wins (10) and innings pitched (142.2IP), leading the club with 25 starts... Among A.L. pitchers, finished 10th in the league in second-half innings (80.0) and wins (6)…Did not win over his last four starts and went 1-2 w/a 5.40 ERA in five Sept. starts (28.1IP, 32H, 17ER)…Hits per 9.0IP went up in 2021 from previous year (8.6 up from 6.2 in 2020) and SO per 9.0IP decreased over 2020 (6.3 from 9.3 in 2020)…Became the first pitcher in MLB history who started three games in a season (9/7 Burnes/Hader, 4/14 Carlos Rodón & 5/7 Wade Miley) in which his team was no-hit...The previous mark was held by Jim Perry, who started two such games for the Tigers in 1973... The club was shutout four times during his starts and averaged 4.77 runs per 9.0 IP for him when he was on the bump...Went 3-0 w/a 2.78 ERA in five May starts (32.1IP, 20H, 10ER, 9BB, 20SO, .172 average) before suffering a broken right thumb after his start on May 23 vs. MIN taking off his jersey following outing, one of the more bizarre injuries of the year...Placed on 10-day IL the following day and began a rehab assignment in AA Akron on June 29 at Akron, making two starts (5.79ERA) before being activated prior to his start vs. Kansas City on July 8..Went 6-3 w/a 5.04 ERA in 15 ML starts since his July 8 activation from the IL (84.0IP, 89H, 50R/47ER, 14HR, 22BB, 62SO)… Over his last 7 GS he was 3-2 w/an ERA of 4.17 (19ER/41.0IP)…Did not post a losing decision from April 26-July 28, a span of 10 starts...Won a career-high five straight decisions, May 2-July 28...Over the 10 starts he was 5-0 w/a 3.50 ERA (61.2IP, 49H, 26ER, 14BB, 38SO, .213 AVG)…Career-high five-game winning streak (tied Civale and Karinchak for longest win streaks by CLE pitchers in 2021)... His 20.2 scoreless IP streak, May 2-13, was a career-best and longest by a Cleveland SP in 2021... Over his last 21 starts he was 9-3 from a decision standpoint (4.19 ERA, 55ER/118.0IP)....Faced the Tigers over each over his first two starts and carried 12.0 consecutive scoreless innings into his start at Chicago-AL on April 14, allowing six runs (6ER) in just 0.2 innings on his way to his shortest career start...Issued only 34 walks in 142.2 IP (2.1 BB per 9.0IP)...Entered season w/a 7.6 SO per 9IP career strikeout ratio and went on to average a career-low 6.3 K/9 in 2021...His strikeout pct. of 16.7 (100/598) was fifth-lowest in MLB...Walked just 9 RH batters (317 BF)...Allowed 57 extra-base hits...Allowed three steals (1 CS)…Career 5SB/3CS... Allowed a home run in 12 straight starts, May 13-Aug. 24...Only longer streak in team history belongs to Josh Tomlin, who allowed homers in 15 straight starts in 2016.
2020
Had an outstanding season, posting the best strikeout-to-walk ratio in MLB (9.5:1), the third-lowest ERA in the American League (2.28) among pitchers with at least 50 IP and finishing fifth-lowest average against (.191) using the same standard...Was tied for ninth in the AL in quality starts (6) despite spending 21 days on the Restricted List and at the Alternate Training Site, August 11-31 due to a team-related infraction...Worked at least 6.0 IP in all 8 starts, allowed 1 run-or-less in 5 of his 8 starts and recorded his first two career double-digit strikeout starts (11, two times, last on Sept. 18 at DET)... Turned in the third known immaculate inning in CLE history in that start at DET (2nd inning)...Allowed 6 home runs and 11 runs overall on the season (8 overall runs via HR)...Began the campaign as the fifth starter, making season debut on July 29 vs. ChicagoAL, working a season-high 8.0 IP...Set a then career-high 11 SO and retired 24 of 27 batters faced...Became 7th starter in franchise history to work 8.0+ innings with 11+ K's, 3-or-fewer hits & zero BB's allowed; first since Bieber on 6/30/19 at BAL..Was among the three finalists for a Rawlings Gold Glove (AL Pitcher) and did not record an error in his 13 TC (T5th-most among AL Ps)...Was slated to start the third game of the club's AL Wild Card Series vs. New York-AL...Began the campaign as the fifth starter, making season debut on July 29 vs. Chicago AL, working a season-high 8.0 IP...Set a then career-high 11 SO and retired 24 of 27 batters faced...Became 7th starter in franchise history to work 8.0+ innings with 11+ K's, 3-or-fewer hits & zero BB's allowed; first since Bieber on 6/30/19 at BAL..Was among the three finalists for a Rawlings Gold Glove (AL Pitcher) and did not record an error in his 13 TC (T5th-most among AL Ps)...Was slated to start the third game of the club's AL Wild Card Series vs. New York-AL.
2019
Enjoyed a solid rookie campaign in his first taste of Major League action in just his third professional season, starting the season in AA Akron before rising up the ladder to make 21 reliable starts for a rotation ravaged by injury and illness... Recorded the second-lowest ERA among American League rookies (3.81, min. 15 GS) and finished third in rookie wins (8) and sixth in innings pitched (115.2) while recording the third-lowest rookie average against (.237)...Recorded his first career complete game and shutout Sept. 10 at the Los Angeles Angels, marking Cleveland's Major League-leading 5th shutout by a starter this season, joining Shane Bieber (2), Carlos Carrasco and Trevor Bauer...Plesac became the first Indians rookie pitcher to record a shutout since Jeremy Sowers threw two shutouts in 2006 and was the third rookie pitcher to accomplish the feat in 2019 (Miami's Sandy Alcantara, 2, and Seattle's Yusei Kikuchi)...Plesac picked off six runners, all at first base, the most in the Majors...The right-hander allowed just one stolen base and two stolen base attempts in his 21 starts...His 6 pickoffs are the most by an Indians rookie pitcher since 1974 and the most in the Majors by a rookie since Atlanta's Julio Teheran nabbed 8 in 2013...Just one of 16 right-handed pitchers in the Majors with 6+ pickoffs in their rookie season since 1974...Zach became the first pitcher to pick off at least one baserunner in each of his first two career Major League starts since Chicago-NL's Geremi Gonzalez in 1997 and is one of nine pitchers in the Majors to accomplish the feat since 1908...Also picked off four baserunners between Double-A Akron and Triple-A Columbus and allowed only 2 stolen bases in the Minors...Zach threw 7.0+ innings and allowed 2-or-fewer earned runs in 4 of his first 6 career starts, becoming the first member of the Tribe to do so since John Farrell in 1987... Worked at least 7.0 innings in 5 of his first 7 starts, the most by a Major League pitcher in his first 7 career starts since Philadelphia's Jerad Eickhoff (5) in 2015...Worked at least 5.0-innings in 16 of his 21 starts... His combined 179.1 innings were a career-high over his three professional seasons...Plesac is the nephew of former Major League All-Star left-hander Dan Plesac, who pitched for Milwaukee, Toronto, Arizona, Pittsburgh, Philadelphia and Chicago-AL over the course of his 18-year career... Zach joined Dan in collecting their first Major League wins vs. the Yankees and their first losses against Chicago-AL...The two did so in reverse order, as Dan won on April 18, 1986 at New York-AL and lost on April 23, 1986 vs. Chicago-AL, while Zach lost on June 2 at Chicago-AL and won on June 7 vs. New York-AL...Made his Major League debut on May 28 at Boston, a 7-5 Indians win (ND, 5.1IP, 4H, 1R/ER, 1BB, 2SO)...He entered the 2019 season not among the top 30 prospects in the Indians system by MLB.com nor Baseball America...Prior to his initial recall on May 28, the right-hander split April and May between Double-A Akron and Columbus, going 4-1 with a 1.41 ERA (9ER/57.1IP), seven walks and 56 strikeouts over 9 starts between the two stops...He began 2019 with Akron, posting a 1-1 record with a 0.96 ERA (4ER/37.1IP) with six walks and 34 strikeouts in 6 starts for the RubberDucks before being promoted to Columbus on May 11...Went 3-0 with a 2.25 ERA (5ER/20.0IP) with one walk and 22 strikeouts in 3 starts for the Clippers...Was optioned to AAA Columbus around the All-Star Break, July 6-16, making one start on July 11, suffering the loss to Indianapolis yielding three runs on four hits and two walks with nine strikeouts over 6.1 innings...Left-handed hitters batted .216 (40-185) against Plesac, the 14th-lowest mark among American League pitchers (min. 20 starts)...Allowed a BABIP of .255 -- tied for 10th-best in MLB among starting pitchers with at least 100.0 total IP...Batters hit .222 (34-for-153) off him with runners on and .228 (18-for-79) with RISP (23.2IP).
2018
Led the organization in wins (11)...Finished the season 4th in WHIP (1.28) and 9th in ERA (4.04) in the Carolina League among qualified starters.
2017
Allowed just four runs over 26.0 innings (seven starts) for Mahoning Valley before earning a call up to Lake County... Across both levels, opposing batters hit just .186.
