My Take
Zelous Wheeler is the kind of guy who makes you believe in the underdog story. He grew up in Childersburg, Alabama — a town most people have never heard of — went to a community college, and still scratched his way into the New York Yankees organization and eventually the big leagues. But honestly, his story got way more interesting once he crossed the Pacific. In Japan he carved out a real career with Rakuten and the Yomiuri Giants, becoming exactly the kind of steady, professional presence that NPB teams love to import from America. The fact that he's now a co-hitting coach for the Giants tells you everything: this wasn't a guy just cashing a paycheck abroad, he genuinely invested in the game and the culture. That arc — from a tiny Alabama town to coaching in one of the most storied franchises in Japanese baseball — is quietly remarkable, and I'm here for it.
Overview
Zelous Lamar Wheeler (born January 16, 1987) is an American former professional baseball third baseman and right fielder who currently serves as a co-hitting coach for the Yomiuri Giants of Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB). He played in NPB for the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles and Giants, and in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the New York Yankees.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- Zelous Wheeler
- Name (Japanese)
- ゼラス・ウィーラー
- Reading
- ぜらす・うぃーらー
- Born
- January 16, 1987 (age 39)
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Capricorn / Rabbit
- Origin
- Childersburg, Alabama, United States
- Blood type
- Private
- Height
- 178 cm
- Agency
- Private
- Occupation
- baseball player / baseball coach
2. Background
- Elementary school
- Private
- Junior high
- Private
- High school
- Private
- University
- Wallace State Community College
3. Relationships
- Spouse
- Private
- Children
- Private
- Parents
- Private
- Siblings
- Private
4. Personality
Motto
Private
6. Links
7. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
- 2026-06-02
Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public items are marked "Private / Unknown". English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.