Zach Plesac Excited for 'Fresh Start' With Angels, Ready to Put Mistakes Behind Him

The Los Angeles Angels signed former Cleveland Guardians pitcher Zach Plesac to a one-year contract Saturday. Plesac will likely be a depth piece for the Angels rotation, but he also could be used out of the bullpen.

The 28-year-old right-hander is excited about this new chance with the Angels. After a season that saw Plesac get designated for assignment and outrighted to Triple-A, 2024 represents a fresh start. Plesac spoke with reporters about the opportunity he has ahead of him.

“This is just a new opportunity, a fresh start,” Plesac said. “I think it's just a great opportunity to change the narrative. I got off to a great start, and as things unfolded later in my career, I wouldn't say they went negatively, it was more of a roller coaster that goes up and down. And I'm looking for more of a consistent upward trend.”

Per Zach Plesac via MLB.com

Plesac came into the league with tremendous upside, posting an ERA of 3.81 over 21 starts as a rookie in 2019. Plesac followed up his strong rookie campaign with a great 2020 season, posting an ERA of 2.28 over eight starts.

However, he did get into a little trouble after he violated protocols during the 2020 shortened season due to COVID-19.

“It’s something I’ve put behind me and, unfortunately, it’s just something I have to carry with me forever,” Plesac said of the COVID issue. “It’s something that is over my head, something that I did and I took responsibility for. At the end of the day, I had to learn a lesson. That’s what had to happen.”

Per Zach Plesac via The OC Register

Plesac hasn't been the same pitcher since 2020, posting an ERA of 7.59 in just five games for the Guardians last season. 

“What we can do at the end of the day is learn from our actions,” Plesac said. “I’m far from perfect. I think moving forward there’s a lot of good steps that I’ve taken to avoid things like that happening again. So I’m really just putting that stuff behind me and looking forward to a fresh start and a positive, passionate type of energy going in the right direction."

Per Zach Plesac via The OC Register

The right-hander spent most of last year with Triple-A Columbus. Plesac went 5-6 with a 6.08 ERA in 19 games (18 starts), while walking 42 batters and striking out 71. More than his off-field behavior, the key for Plesac staying in the majors will be to re-establish his ability to get major league hitters out. 

With the support of a new team, Plesac will have that chance. The Angels hope he can get back to what made him so dominant early on in his career.