1. Early Life and Amateur Career
Zachary Reks's early life and baseball career before turning professional included his time in high school and college, where he began as a walk-on.
1.1. Childhood and Education
Zachary Joseph Reks was born on November 12, 1993, in Orland Park, Illinois, United States. He attended Carl Sandburg High School in Orland Park. For his college education, he initially enrolled at the United States Air Force Academy, where he also played college baseball. He later transferred to the University of Kentucky as a student.
1.2. College Baseball
After transferring to the University of Kentucky, Reks did not play baseball for two years. He rejoined the Kentucky Wildcats baseball team in 2016 as a walk-on. He played for two seasons at Kentucky. In the 2017 Major League Baseball draft, Reks was selected by the Los Angeles Dodgers in the 10th round, as the 310th overall pick. He subsequently signed a contract with the Dodgers on June 19, 2017.
2. Professional Playing Career
Zachary Reks's professional playing career spanned several years across various leagues, starting in the minor league system and reaching both Major League Baseball and the KBO League.
2.1. Los Angeles Dodgers
Reks spent several seasons developing within the Los Angeles Dodgers organization, making his Major League Baseball debut before being traded.
2.1.1. Minor League Development
Reks began his professional career in 2017. During his first professional season, he played for three different Dodgers minor league affiliates: the Ogden Raptors, Great Lakes Loons, and Rancho Cucamonga Quakes. Across these three teams, he batted .317 with two home runs over 47 games. In 2018, he played for the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes and the Tulsa Drillers. During this season, he achieved a batting line of .303/.374/.424, hitting five home runs and driving in 40 RBI in 88 games. The 2019 season saw him start with the Tulsa Drillers before he was promoted to the Oklahoma City Dodgers. In total for 2019, he played in 121 games, maintaining a .291 batting average, and notably hitting 28 home runs with 93 RBI. Following the 2020 season, the Dodgers added Reks to their 40-man roster to protect him from the Rule 5 draft.
2.1.2. Major League Debut
Zachary Reks was promoted to Major League Baseball for the first time on June 21, 2021. At the time of his call-up from the minor leagues, he had been performing strongly for the Oklahoma City Dodgers, batting .341 with five home runs and 19 RBI. He made his MLB debut on the same day, starting as the left fielder in a game against the San Diego Padres at Petco Park. In his debut, he had two at-bats, resulting in a strikeout and a lineout to center field. He was returned to the minor leagues the very next day. Overall, during the 2021 season, Reks had 10 at-bats in six games for the Dodgers, striking out seven times and concluding the season with a .000 batting average in the majors. In the minor leagues, he played 87 games for Oklahoma City, hitting .280 with 19 home runs and 67 RBI.
2.2. Texas Rangers
On November 22, 2021, Zachary Reks, along with Billy McKinney, was traded from the Los Angeles Dodgers to the Texas Rangers in exchange for cash considerations. He recorded his first career MLB hit on April 30, 2022, a single off Bryce Elder of the Atlanta Braves at Globe Life Field. In the 2022 season, Reks played in 16 MLB games for the Rangers, collecting 9 hits in 34 at-bats for a .265 batting average. On July 16, 2022, Reks was designated for assignment by the Texas Rangers, and he was subsequently released on July 20, 2022.
2.3. Lotte Giants
Following his release from the Texas Rangers, Zachary Reks signed with the Lotte Giants of the KBO League on July 20, 2022. He joined the team as a replacement for DJ Peters. He was the first foreign player in the history of the Lotte Giants to use uniform number 47. For the remainder of the 2022 KBO season, he played in 56 games for the Lotte Giants, achieving a batting average of .330. On November 18, 2022, Reks re-signed with the Lotte Giants for the 2023 season on a one-year deal valued at 1.30 M USD. For the 2023 season, he changed his uniform number to 17. He participated in 55 games for Lotte during the 2023 season, but his performance was significantly impacted by a knee injury. In 203 at-bats, he recorded a batting line of .246/.338/.345 with 4 home runs and 30 RBI. On July 11, 2023, Reks was released by the Lotte Giants after the team signed Niko Goodrum, and he became a free agent on July 18, 2023.
2.4. San Diego Padres
On February 1, 2024, Reks signed a minor league contract with the San Diego Padres. He played in 64 appearances for the Double-A affiliate, the San Antonio Missions. During his time with the Missions, he posted a batting line of .127/.278/.208, along with three home runs, 19 RBI, and one stolen base. Reks elected for free agency on November 4, 2024, upon the conclusion of the season.
3. Professional Records
Zachary Reks's professional career includes statistical performance and significant data from his time in Major League Baseball and the KBO League, as well as the uniform numbers he wore.
3.1. Major League Baseball Statistics
Below are Zachary Reks's detailed batting statistics from his time in Major League Baseball.
| Year | Team | G | PA | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | TB | RBI | BB | SO | SB | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | LAD | 6 | 10 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | .000 | .000 | .000 | .000 |
| 2022 | TEX | 16 | 34 | 34 | 3 | 9 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 3 | 0 | 10 | 0 | .265 | .265 | .294 | .559 |
| Total (2 years) | 22 | 44 | 44 | 3 | 9 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 3 | 0 | 17 | 0 | .205 | .205 | .227 | .432 |
3.2. KBO League Statistics
The following table presents Zachary Reks's detailed batting statistics from his professional career in the KBO League. His 2023 statistics are summarized in the Lotte Giants section due to incomplete detailed per-column data for that year from sources.
| Year | Team | G | PA | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | TB | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | LOTTE | 56 | 251 | 218 | 32 | 72 | 10 | 1 | 8 | 108 | 34 | 3 | 26 | 44 | .330 | .410 | .495 | .906 |
| Total (1 year) | 56 | 251 | 218 | 32 | 72 | 10 | 1 | 8 | 108 | 34 | 3 | 26 | 44 | .330 | .410 | .495 | .906 |
3.3. Uniform Numbers
Zachary Reks wore several uniform numbers throughout his professional baseball career:
- 84 (2021) - Likely with the Los Angeles Dodgers.
- 65 (2022) - Likely with the Texas Rangers.
- 47 (2022) - With the Lotte Giants, he was the first foreign player to use this number.
- 17 (2023) - With the Lotte Giants.
4. Coaching Career
Following his retirement as a player, Zachary Reks transitioned into a coaching role, focusing on player development.
4.1. Arizona Complex League Dodgers
On February 28, 2025, the Los Angeles Dodgers announced the hiring of Zachary Reks as the hitting coach for their rookie-level affiliate, the Arizona Complex League Dodgers. In this role, he is responsible for developing the hitting skills of young players within the Dodgers' minor league system.