Keeping It Heel
Fansided

UNC Baseball Season In Review: Zac Gallen

By Nick Delahanty

PHOENIX, ARIZONA - SEPTEMBER 25: Zac Gallen #23 of the Arizona Diamondbacks delivers a first inning pitch against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Chase Field on September 25, 2021 in Phoenix, Arizona. (Photo by Norm Hall/Getty Images)
PHOENIX, ARIZONA - SEPTEMBER 25: Zac Gallen #23 of the Arizona Diamondbacks delivers a first inning pitch against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Chase Field on September 25, 2021 in Phoenix, Arizona. (Photo by Norm Hall/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit

The Keeping It Heel team takes a look at the 2021 season in review for former UNC baseball standout Zac Gallen.

Coming into the 2021 regular season, expectations were certainly high for former UNC baseball standout Zac Gallen.

After an impressive showing through a dozen starts in 2020, many were excited to see the former Tar Heel take a full-time slot in the Diamondbacks’ starting rotation. However, the season did not get off the way that Gallen or the organization had hoped for.

The now 26-year-old missed the start of the season due to a fractured forearm that he suffered during batting practice. He returned to the mound on April 13 and made five starts before being sidelined once again due to an elbow injury.

This time, the injury bug kept Gallen off the field for about six weeks. The talented right-hander made his return on June 17, and served as a consistent presence throughout the remainder of the season.

Over his final 17 starts of the season, Gallen completed five or more innings in 13 outings. His best overall outing came on August 21 in Colorado, as he threw seven scoreless innings against the Rockies.

His 4-10 record and 4.30 ERA won’t completely stand out to anyone, but his production was better than the standard numbers tend to indicate. On a team that won just 52 games in 2021, Gallen’s record shouldn’t be the main thing to focus on when looking at his season as a whole.

According to Baseball Savant, here’s the categories in which Gallen is considered “above-average” for the 2021 season:

wxOBA (Expected weighted on-base average)

xERA (Expected ERA)

xBA (Expected Batting Average)

xSLG (Expected Slugging Percentage)

K% (Strikeout Percentage)

Fastball Spin Rate

On the analytic side of things, Gallen has some areas in which he thrives. Given some of the areas in which he was above-average in 2021, it certainly is a positive sign for the Diamondbacks moving forward.

This season also marked the first time that Gallen made 20 or more starts in a single season. As the Diamondbacks look for him to be a full-time starting pitcher, the organization hopes that he can avoid the long-term injuries that derailed him for parts of this past season.

As he continues to develop, experience like 2021 will ultimately pay dividends for Gallen. For a franchise that has aspirations of competing in the near future, getting guys like Gallen some quality big league experience will help them down the road.

Next. UNC Baseball Season In Review: Kyle Seager. dark

Continue to follow the Keeping It Heel team for all the latest news and updates regarding Zac Gallen, and UNC baseball alumni throughout Major League Baseball.

Home/UNC Baseball