Andrew Czech Signs to Return to Washington
WASHINGTON, Pa. (Dec. 17) – Andrew Czech has signed back with the Wild Things after his one-year deal from 2024 made him a free agent yesterday. That free-agency period didn’t last long, as the slugging first baseman has signed a new deal to come back for his fifth season in Washington in 2025.
The Reminderville, Ohio, native slashed .264/.396/.508 in 2024 across 90 games. He scored 53 runs, hit 23 doubles, clubbed 18 homers and drove in 48 while he walked 68 times. He’ll enter 2025 high up on multiple career statistical categories for the franchise including runs, hits, doubles, home runs, RBI, walks and OPS. He’s third in runs with 213 (46 behind second-place Hector Roa), third in hits with 324, fourth in doubles with 76 (13 off first place Chris Sidick’s 89), fourth in RBI (16 away from a tie for third and 42 away from a tie for second) and second in walks with 246 (leader is Sidick with 328). Czech needs one home run to match the franchise record of 63 set by Hector Roa between 2017-22.
His 2024 season included setting the new Washington on-base streak record at 60 games, which he snapped by reaching in his 36th-straight game early in the year. The streak dated back to the 2023 season.
Between 2021-23, his first three seasons in pro ball and in Washington, Czech slashed .279/.401/.502 with 44 homers and 157 RBI. His 2023 season was highlighted by setting the single season walks record for the Wild Things with 88, passing the previous record of 87 set by Kane Sweeney in 2017. He was named a 2022 Frontier League midseason All Star and was snubbed of a selection in 2023, which would’ve made him the 10th Wild Thing ever to be a multi-time midseason All Star.
He had a stellar career at Walsh University. In 2018, he appeared in 49 games and slashed .368/.493/.737 (1.230) with 15 home runs, 52 RBI and 18 doubles before playing for Chillicothe in a summer league and hitting nine bombs and knocking home 56. In 2019 he played in the Valley Baseball League after another great year at Walsh. He hit 17 HR and knocked in 63 with 18 2B and a triple and a slash line of .417/.538/.823 (1.361). He'd hit nine HR and drive in 47 for Staunton that summer. Then in 2021, he had nine doubles and 17 home runs with 47 RBI in 188 plate appearances over 41 games. He walked 51 times and only punched out 17 times, while slashing .374/.559/.832 (1.391). Czech was G-Mac 2nd Team in 2018, 1st Team and Player of the Year as well as All-Region 1st Team (D2CCA) in 2019 and G-MAC Player of the Year in 2021. The slugger left Walsh the career program leader in homers, RBI, runs and led all Division II players with 51 walks in 2021. He was also selected as a Division II Gold Glove Award winner by Rawlings in 2021.
Czech joins a cast of returners including Tyreque Reed, with whom he split some time at first base in 2024. He’s Washington’s first returner to come back after becoming a free agent December 16.
The Wild Things open their season on the road Friday, May 9, 2025, and the home opener is scheduled for Tuesday, May 13 at 7:05 p.m. Season tickets, group packages and premium areas are available now by calling 866-456-WILD or by going to washingtonwildthings.com. Fans can also follow the team’s social media pages and site for news, including on X, Facebook, Instagram, Threads, TikTok and YouTube. Search @WashWildThings, go to youtube.com/@WashWildThings or go to facebook.com/washingtonwildthings.
