Gelof already making a difference at home

This story was excerpted from Martín Gallegos’ A’s Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.

Returning home to Delaware as a big leaguer for the first time in his life, A’s second baseman Zack Gelof wasted no time this offseason teaming up with his brother, Jake, to give back to their community.

The 2023 season was a memorable one for the Gelofs. While Zack burst onto the scene as one of the more impressive rookies in Major League Baseball, Jake joined the pro ranks as a second-round pick by the Dodgers in the MLB Draft last July.

Utilizing their increased profile back home, the two joined forces to create the Gelof Brothers Foundation. Their organization's mission is to provide resources and assistance to support the overall development of youth, and they kicked that off in November by hosting their inaugural youth sports camp at Cape Henlopen High School in Lewes, which Zack attended from 2015-18.

Open to kids from ages 8-13, the camp was a massive success as the sign-up list reached the full capacity of 80 participants within four hours of its announcement. Held on Nov. 22, the three-hour event was not limited to baseball. Zack and Jake also put together training drills for basketball and hockey, as well as mindset coaching and a Q&A session.

“I loved meeting the kids,” Zack told the Cape Gazette. “I hope they had a good time and left motivated that setting goals and giving effort can be fun and rewarding.”

For further information on the Gelof Brothers Foundation, visit https://www.givesignup.org/TicketEvent/GelofBrothersFoundation.