Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Zach Eflin is an American professional baseball player. The San Diego Padres selected him in the first round of the 2012 MLB draft, taking him 33 spots overall.
As part of Matt Kemp’s trade to the Los Angeles Dodgers, he was moved twice in 24 hours to the Philadelphia Phillies as part of Jimmy Rollins’ deal.
Eflin played baseball for Paul J. Hagerty High School in Oviedo, Florida. When Eflin was a junior in high school, he told his father he was leaving the baseball team to join the golf squad.
He grew seven inches in high school and became a formidable starting pitcher, attracting college and professional scouts. In 43 innings pitched, he had a 0.51 ERA and 59 strikeouts.
Despite signing an NLI to attend UCF on a baseball scholarship, Eflin was picked by the San Diego Padres.
Eflin is a middle-of-the-rotation starter for the Phillies. He is recognized for the outstanding command of his pitches and for relying on sinkers and slider combos to get groundball outs.
In 2018, Eflin began throwing harder, hoping to knock out batters. As of 2020, he relied less on his changeup and used a 79 mph (127 km/h) curveball more frequently.
How Tall Is Zach Eflin?
Zach Effin, a 29-year-old pitcher for the Philadelphia Phillies, stands 1.98 m tall.