Zack Gelof Is Thriving in a Utility Role for the A’s

The Athletics have had a slew of young hitters drive their rebuild forward and help the team establish a new identity post-Oakland. Nick Kurtz, Shea Langeliers, Jacob Wilson, Tyler Soderstrom, and others have been responsible for the headlines and hope for the A’s moving forward.

However, it was not all that long ago that Zack Gelof fit that same mold. In 2023, Gelof debuted late in the season, posting 14 home runs and 14 stolen bases across 69 games, giving fans hope that he would be the second baseman of the future. Then 2024 happened.

Gelof struggled to a .211/.270/.362 slash while striking out 34% of the time, deflating the momentum he had built a year prior. When 2025 rolled around, injury limited him to 30 games, and his 36 wRC+ made him more of an afterthought than an alliance to the other names establishing themselves as part of the A’s future.

Once spring training started this season, Gelof was on the outside looking in. Jeff McNeil was brought in to man second, and Gelof was no longer viewed as a lock to make the roster. The A’s decided to try him in center in hopes of adding versatility to his game, and the decision is paying off.

Stats updated prior to games on June 21.

Gelof’s Versatility Created Opportunity

When roster spots started to fill, the only avenue for Gelof to claim a spot would be to find a niche. Simply staying at second would not provide the team nearly enough value to keep him on the roster and would make constructing a team much more difficult.

Gelof had appeared in 39 games at third, but his other 249 career games came at second. Luckily, he’s a superb athlete with quick movement and a natural feel around the diamond. You know, the type of player you watch and put your old-timer scout hat on to say, “That’s a ball player.” The A’s wanted his speed on the field and tried him in center.

When the Opening Day roster was announced, the A’s sided with veteran Andy Ibáñez as the utility player, sending Gelof to Triple-A, but an early-season injury to Brent Rooker opened an opportunity, and Gelof made the most of it.

As the season progressed, center fielder Denzel Clarke went down with injury. Gelof filled in. Ibáñez was designated for assignment. Gelof filled in. Max Muncy landed on the IL, Rooker once again was hurt, and Lawrence Butler struggled mightily. Gelof kept filling in and finding opportunities.

Through his first 60 games in 2026, Gelof has appeared in 39 games at third, 15 in center, 12 at second, and four in right. No matter where the A’s have needed him, he has stepped up and leaned into the utility role, giving the A’s flexibility and stability as the reasons they needed him continued to change.

As his opportunities have become more regular, it has been more and more difficult to get him out of the lineup. Not only was he doing so many of the little things well, like providing a platoon option, defensive substitutions, flashing a plus glove, and giving the team speed, but his offense started to pick up.

Offensive Importance

At the time of my writing this, Gelof has put together a 22-game hit streak and has scored a run in 12 consecutive games, tying a franchise record that is 93 years old. On the season, he is slashing .286/.341/.502 with 11 home runs, eight stolen bases, and a 130 wRC+.

Despite being in a lineup with much more high-profile names, Gelof is top-three in wRC+, fWAR, stolen bases, and fourth in home runs. As Butler and Wilson have struggled to match their best selves, and Carlos Cortes has returned from his scorching hot streak, Gelof has lifted his game, helping the A’s lineup immensely.

No matter where the A’s have played Gelof or in what spot they’ve slotted him into the batting order, he has come through. Gelof has taken an at-bat in every spot in the batting order except second and fourth, and recently was moved into the leadoff spot, where he has started off slashing .375/.545/.375.

Whether it be as a table setter or lineup lengthener, Gelof giving the A’s a lift does wonders for how this lineup looks from top to bottom. Add in Henry Bolte’s added production, and you have one of the deeper lineups in baseball. I think he will ultimately land in the bottom third of the lineup, but regardless, Gelof is coming through, especially in big moments.

How you define “clutch” might vary from fan to fan. A lot of people would place that label on a player solely based on moments that they recall throughout the season and how important those moments are. Others lean into certain stats to truly paint a picture, but both moments and stats back up Gelof’s performance this season.

Gelof has come to the plate with runners in scoring position 48 times this season and has slashed .313/.365/.396, good for a .761 OPS with 17 RBI. In situations where the game is tied, he has an .824 OPS, and in high-leverage situations, an .859 OPS. In innings 7-9? Chalk him up for a .974 OPS.

No matter how you slice it, Gelof’s impact has been felt. Filling in for injured or struggling players and not establishing a true everyday position can be hard for some players, but not for Gelof. He is quickly turning into the glue guy that every team needs and all fanbases grow to adore.

Will this pace keep up? The expected stats tend to think not. The batted ball profile and below-average whiff and walk rates are still a concern. Even if he does cool off, what Gelof has given this team through 60 games in 2026 cannot be taken away.

The A’s currently sit 0.5 games back of the Mariners in the AL West and are riding a 7-3 record in their past 10 games. A stretch that has largely been driven by his play. The A’s playoff hopes are very much alive and real, and Zack Gelof, the once forgotten man turned utility chess piece, is a big reason as to why.