Zack Weiss finished the 2015 season as the top relief prospect in the organization. He began that season with the Cincinnati Reds Advanced-A affiliate in Daytona. Things went so well that he wasn’t around long. After just nine games he was promoted to Double-A after posting a 0.00 ERA with a walk and 22 strikeouts in 11.2 innings pitched.
Things didn’t go quite as well in Double-A Pensacola, but he was still dominant as the closer. Zack Weiss picked up another 25 saves after arriving in Pensacola. In 52.0 innings he posted a 2.42 ERA for the Blue Wahoos. That went along with 14 walks and 68 strikeouts. For the season, between the two levels he had a 1.98 ERA in 53.2 innings. The numbers were about as good as could be.
His performance in 2015 was so good that he was invited to big league camp with the Reds as a non-roster invitee. However, he only appeared in two games before being shut down with elbow discomfort. When I spoke with him in April of 2016 he had said that his rehab was coming along and that he was hoping it wasn’t going to be much longer before he could return. Unfortunately that didn’t turn out to be the case. Weiss never pitched during the 2016 season.
In December of 2016 Zack Weiss would undergo ulnar nerve transportation surgery in his pitching elbow. The recover time for that turned out to be about 5-6 months and when June rolled around, the right hander returned to the mound for the Daytona Tortugas.
Things have gone quite well for Zack Weiss in Daytona. He’s certainly old for the level at 25-years-old. However, this is essentially a rehab assignment for him after missing so much time. He’s thrown 12.0 innings over nine games. He’s allowed just eight hits and walked one batter. Weiss has also struck out 17 of the 44 batters that he’s faced on the season. That’s good for a 38.6% strikeout rate.
While I have no seen Zack Weiss throw in person this season, the reports on his stuff have been good. The velocity is back to where it was pre-surgery, sitting in the 92-94 MPH range and touching higher. I’d be surprised if he were in Daytona much longer before being bumped up to Pensacola. The numbers have been outstanding thus far and the stuff, at least according to the reports I’ve heard, has been there.