Zack Gelof's .366 Batting Average Is The Hottest Thing in Baseball and Nobody's Talking About It

Hold up, folks. Stop scrolling. Did you catch what Zack Gelof just pulled off? The guy is on an absolute tear, hitting a homer in his last at-bat to extend his career-best hitting streak to a ridiculous 21 games. That's the *best active streak in the majors*, and if you haven't been paying attention, you're missing one of the hottest bats in baseball. He's batting a scorching .366 during this unbelievable run, and he's crushed five dingers in his last nine games alone. This kid is on fire, and he's heading into a four-game set against the Angels with something to prove.

Gelof's Red-Hot Bat and What it Means for the A's

Let's talk about Gelof's numbers because they're insane: .366 over 21 games, going 30-for-82 at the plate. Five homers in less than ten games? Yeah, that's competing, as manager Mark Kotsay said. He even called Gelof's latest ninth-inning homer to keep the streak alive "pretty impressive," noting how tough it is to come up in that spot with a streak on the line. The A's need that kind of spark right now, especially after dropping the final two games of a series against Pittsburgh, including a brutal 12-4 loss on Wednesday.

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But here’s the thing, the A's actually played the Angels really tough earlier this season. They took three of four games in Anaheim back in May, pouring in 23 runs in those three wins. Nick Kurtz even had a season-best five RBIs in one of those victories, a feat he matched just this past Monday against the Pirates. They snagged two 10-inning wins against LA in that set, too. Kotsay is expecting more of those tight games this weekend, which means Gelof's bat is going to be crucial.

Angels Are Stumbling, But Watch Out for Neto and Trout

Over on the Angels' side, things aren't looking so hot. They've dropped three of their past four games, including an 8-1 beatdown by the Diamondbacks on Wednesday. Still, don't sleep on Zach Neto. He's been on a little run lately, homering in his last two games and racking up back-to-back two-hit outings. This comes after a rough patch where he went just 2-for-23 with 13 strikeouts over five games. He even laced a triple on Tuesday. Manager Kurt Suzuki likes what he sees, especially Neto's ability to lay off tough pitches and hit a home run on an off-speed pitch. And remember that dramatic walk-off two-run homer Neto hit on May 18 to break up a no-hitter against the A's? He’s got that clutch factor.

Then there's Mike Trout, who's still doing Mike Trout things. He pushed his hitting streak to eight games on Wednesday with a 1-for-3 performance, and he's got three homers during that stretch. Trout leads the Angels with 17 homers on the season, with Neto right behind him at 15. So, yeah, the Angels might be slumping overall, but those two can still do some serious damage.

Pitching Matchups and What's Next

The stage is set for a fresh series between these AL West rivals. For Thursday's opener, the A's are sending left-hander Gage Jump to the mound for his fifth career start, and it'll be his first time facing the Angels. The 23-year-old sports a 2-1 record with a 3.09 ERA. He took a no-decision in his last outing against the Rockies, giving up three runs and five hits over five innings, but he had won his previous two starts, allowing just one run and six hits over 13 1/3 innings.

The Angels, meanwhile, haven't announced a starter for Thursday and might even bring someone up from Triple-A Salt Lake. Friday's starter is also up in the air, but their ace right-hander Jose Soriano (8-4, 2.79) could get the call. Soriano got a no-decision against the A's on May 21 in their 10-inning loss, giving up two runs and six hits over 6 2/3 innings. Historically, he's had a tough time against the A's, with a 1-3 record and a 7.82 ERA in nine career appearances. However, he's coming off a dominant five-inning shutout performance against the Rays last Saturday. This series is going to be a battle, with both teams looking to find their footing in what's shaping up to be a wild season!

This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.