Proud in pinstripes: IVC grad Zach McAllister debuts with New York Yankees
Years of perseverance and hard work finally paid off for Zach McAllister.
The Chillicothe native made his return to the major leagues with the New York Yankees on Tuesday night, pitching an inning of relief in a 4-1 victory over the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park. This marked the first time McAllister had made an appearance in the big leagues since Aug. 16, 2018.
"It was incredible," McAllister told the YES Network in a postgame interview. "It was a moment I'll always remember. It was pretty special. My wife (Kamerin) was here, as well. To have her go through all the tough times with the surgeries and getting back out there was incredible.
"It was a moment I'll always remember."
After being drafted by the Yankees in 2006, Zach McAllister made his first appearance for the team tonight, pitching in an MLB game for the first time since 2018.#YANKSonYES pic.twitter.com/gHQ11dzeZr— YES Network (@YESNetwork) September 13, 2023
"I just kind of believed I was going to get this opportunity again and trusted myself and was able to go out there and perform."
In the one-inning outing, McAllister pitched the sixth and recorded a hold in facing five batters. He gave up one hit and a walk while striking out one on 23 pitches.
The 35-year-old right-hander has rehabbed through a pair of injuries — a 2019 torn latissimus dorsi muscle and a fractured right humerus in 2020 — to continue his playing career. He spent time in the minor league organizations of the Arizona Diamondbacks, Los Angeles Dodgers, Texas Rangers, Philadelphia Phillies and St. Louis Cardinals throughout that half-decade span.
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Last month, he was granted his release from the Diamondbacks, then signed a minor league deal with the Yankees where he was a 2006 third-round pick out of Illinois Valley Central. His 11 appearances for the Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders resulted in a 1-1 record with a 1.62 ERA and 20 strikeouts in 16.2 innings.
"I believed in myself," he said when asked what kept him going. "I had family, friends and my wife was also pushing me just to kind of keep going. I was able to change my arm slot a little bit and that made a huge difference for me.
"Last year, it was kind of one of those (things) where it's, 'Hey, I can either still get outs and compete or I'm happy with my career.' For me, it was like I was able to still go out and get outs and compete, so I just kind of rode with it as long as I could. It was definitely a struggle but it's definitely all worth it. That's for sure."
Incredible night for Zach McAllister. He made his first MLB appearance in 5 years, pitching for the Yankees, who drafted him in 2006. Two surgeries and a long road of recovery culminated with a big smile. Well done. pic.twitter.com/KUGWbFMJzY
— Adam Duvall (@AdamDuvall) September 13, 2023
ZMac, who was a Yankees minor league all-star at all five levels, was traded by New York to Cleveland in 2010, spending the next eight years with Cleveland. He tossed 588.1 innings as a starter and reliever, winning 29 games, striking out 537 batters and posting a 3.99 ERA.
Two of his three career postseason appearances came during the 2016 World Series.
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But did McAllister ever think he'd back with the Yankees?
"It was always a dream of mine, a goal," he said. "I was never sure how exactly that would happen but I'm extremely glad that I'm able to put on the pinstripes. That's for sure."
Adam Duvall is a Journal Star sports reporter. Email him at aduvall@pjstar.com. Follow him on Twitter @AdamDuvall.
This article originally appeared on Journal Star: New York Yankees: Zach McAllister talks about return to MLB
