Zac Gallen Of Camden Co. To Start World Series Game 1 For Diamondbacks

ARLINGTON, TX — The Phillies are out, but South Jersey has a shot at October glory when Zac Gallen starts Game 1 of the World Series for the Diamondbacks.

Gallen, a Somerdale native, has shined this year for the Diamondbacks as the team makes its second World Series appearance. The 27-year-old righthander will take the mound for the World Series opener, beginning at 8:03 p.m. Friday at the Rangers' Globe Life Field.

When Gallen was 5 years old, he refused to play tee-ball with his peers, demanding to play Little League Baseball with the Somerdale team. Gallen was selected in the third round of the Little League draft by his father's team and faced children ages 7-9. At age 11, Gallen joined Tri-state Arsenal Baseball Academy as a starting pitcher and second baseman.

Raised in Gibbsboro, Gallen grew up rooting for the Cardinals. But he wanted to attend the Phillies' 2008 World Series championship parade, according to his team bio. His mother, however, didn't let the 13-year-old miss school because "he wasn't a Phillies fan."

Gallen attended Bishop Eustace Preparatory School in Pennsauken before playing college baseball at the University of North Carolina.

His childhood team, the Cardinals, selected Gallen in the third round of the 2016 MLB Draft. But they traded him to the Marlins after the 2017 season while he was still in the minors. Gallen made his Major League debut with the Marlins in 2019, playing part of the season in Miami before the team flipped him to the Diamondbacks during the trade deadline.

Gallen has emerged as one of the National League's top pitchers over the last two years. In 2022, he finished fifth in NL Cy Young voting, with a 12-4 record, 2.54 ERA and a league-low 0.913 walks plus hits per inning pitched (WHIP).

This year, he was named the NL's All-Star Game starter en route to going 17-9 with a 3.47 ERA and 220 strikeouts for the regular season.