Zac Gallen is going to his first All-Star game
Once a regular attendee of Phillies games, Zac Gallen has found major league success on a new level this season.
The kid who grew up going to Phillies games because his mother, Stacey, was a faithful fan is now in the All-Star Game, though as a member of the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Gallen grew up in nearby Somerdale in Camden County, N.J., and attended Bishop Eustace Prep in Pennsauken, N.J. He was already a pitching prodigy at that point and further refined his skills in college at North Carolina.
» READ MORE: Bishop Eustace grad Zac Gallen emerging with the Diamondbacks
Though Gallen was drafted by the St. Louis Cardinals in 2016, he didn’t make his debut until 2017 with the Miami Marlins. He was traded to Arizona in 2019 and worked his way into the starting rotation that same year. Gallen finished the 2022 season with a 12-4 record and a 2.54 ERA and 192 strikeouts in 184 innings.
Early in 2023, the right-hander avoided arbitration by signing a one-year, $5.6 million contract with Arizona. This season, he’s 10-3 with a 3.15 ERA.
» READ MORE: Nick Castellanos selected for his second career All-Star Game