About Alex Ziegler
Alex "Ziggy" Ziegler is the Savannah Bananas' first baseman and resident balancing act. A Butler, Pennsylvania native and 2012 Butler High School graduate, he was coached growing up by his father and went on to play for the California Vulcans at what is now PennWest California, pitching and playing the outfield in 2014 and 2015 while earning a sport management degree.
Ziegler has been with the Bananas since 2022, making 2026 his fifth season in yellow. He wears No. 10 and is listed as a first baseman, but his real job description is wider than that: he is the player who balances a bat, a ladder, a shopping cart or a wheelbarrow on his nose or chin during pregame, between innings and on his walk to the plate.
The bat trick is not a gimmick he picked up on tour. He has held a bat steady on his nose for roughly 90 minutes and sunk a cornhole shot from 126 feet, and the Bananas bill him as a world record holder for his balancing feats. His father and mother attended between 70 and 80 of his games in his first two seasons.
Highlights of his time with Savannah include throwing out the first pitch before a Pirates–Reds game at PNC Park in June 2024 and playing two sold-out Bananas games at the same ballpark in September 2025 in front of more than 80,000 fans across the weekend. In the 2026 BBCL season he has appeared in most of Savannah's games, though mostly as a defensive and entertainment presence rather than an everyday bat — his stat line above reflects that.
Alex's career highlights
- Butler High School class of 2012; played at California (Pa.) in 2014–2015
- Fifth season with the Savannah Bananas in 2026
- Balances bats, ladders and wheelbarrows on his nose or chin during games
- Threw out the first pitch before Pirates vs. Reds at PNC Park in June 2024
- Played two sold-out Bananas games at PNC Park in September 2025
Sources: pennwest.edu , butlereagle.com , butlereagle.com . Stats above are updated automatically from the official Banana Ball stats feed.