Biography
Zachary John-William Brzykcy (BRIK-see, born July 12, 1999) is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Washington Nationals of Major League Baseball (MLB). He made his MLB debut in 2024.
Career
Brzykcy attended Alexander Central High School in Taylorsville, North Carolina, where he was named Northwestern Conference Pitcher of the Year in 2017. He went on to attend Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, where he was the regular closer for the Hokies. He also played in the Cape Cod Baseball League during the summer of 2019, leading the league that summer with seven saves for the Falmouth Commodores. With the 2020 Major League Baseball draft shortened to just five rounds, despite ranking as the 180th-best draft prospect in 2020 according to MLB Pipeline, Brzykcy went undrafted. Brzykcy was scouted by longtime Washington Nationals scout Bobby Myrick and chose to sign with the Nationals as an undrafted free agent on July 1, 2020. He did not play in a game in 2020 due to the cancellation of the minor league season because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
In 2021, Brzykcy spent the year with the High–A Wilmington Blue Rocks. He earned his first win on May 12, 2021, striking out seven in four scoreless relief innings. In 28 appearances, Brzykcy compiled a 6–4 record and 5.20 ERA with 86 strikeouts across 62+1⁄3 innings pitched. He split the 2022 campaign between Wilmington, the Double–A Harrisburg Senators, and Triple–A Rochester Red Wings. In 51 appearances out of the bullpen for the three affiliates, Brzykcy registered an 8–2 record and 1.76 ERA with 95 strikeouts and 14 saves over 61+1⁄3 innings. Brzykcy underwent Tommy John surgery in April 2023, and missed the entirety of the season as a result.
On November 14, 2023, the Nationals added Brzykcy to their 40-man roster to protect him from the Rule 5 draft. He was optioned to the Triple–A Rochester Red Wings to begin the 2024 season. On September 1, 2024, Brzykcy was promoted to the major leagues for the first time.
Pitching style
On the mound, Brzykcy is a right-handed pitcher noted for a fastball that has been clocked up to 100 miles per hour (160 km/h), although it typically registers in the mid-90s. He complements that primary pitch with a sharp breaking ball.