Note: Below is a reprint of an article entitled “How former LSU baseball star Zach Watson found his way from the pros to Banana Ball,” written by Ainsley Flood and published in LSU Reveille on August 10th. Watson is the son of Jackson Parish natives Sonny and Stacy Watson.
Zach Watson never thought he’d be back playing ball in Baton Rouge.
He spent three years with the Tigers before being drafted, and over the next five years, Watson bounced from league to league before finding Banana Ball – America’s craziest pastime.
As a part of his team’s 2025 national tour, a new stop was added to their calendar: LSU’s Alex Box Stadium.
Growing up in Ruston, Watson’s dreams were just like any other Louisiana kid’s. LSU was the place to be.
During his official visit to the school, he received an offer to play for the Tigers. He and his family barely drove down the road before Watson told his mother he wanted to commit. They quickly turned around, and he went back in and accepted the offer.
In his collegiate career, Watson moved from shortstop to the outfield and was one of the team’s top batters. He had a batting average of .319, 18 home runs, 91 RBIs and a .492 slugging percentage over 151 games.
Some of Watson’s most impressive feats came from his postseason performances.
“Probably the biggest moment of my college career was in regional play here in my freshman year, hitting two home runs in back-to-back days,” Watson said. “I think I was the last person to do it, and before that, it was a long time ago.”
In 2017, he and the Tigers made it to the Championship Series in Omaha, Nebraska, against Florida. Watson led the team in batting throughout the tournament with a .333 average, one double, five home runs, 10 RBIs and 12 runs, and was named to the College World Series All-Tournament team.
After LSU’s super regional exit in 2019, he was selected in the third round of the MLB draft by the Baltimore Orioles and said goodbye to Baton Rouge.
After the pandemic, Watson achieved the highlight of his pro career: a rare 20-20 season–20 home runs and 20 stolen bases.
Despite proving himself to be a power hitter in the league, he wasn’t getting the game time. Watson requested a trade or release and was released in 2023.
That same year, the official Banana Ball league was formed.
A hybrid of baseball and entertainment, this version of the game puts the fans first. The rules are altered to create a faster-paced baseball experience, while the players put on a show, participating in choreographed dances, performing tricks, and more. Viral clips reached new audiences, and Banana Ball’s popularity skyrocketed.
As the league was expanding, its roster had to as well. Coaches began reaching out to minor league teams looking for players who fit the bill.
Now playing in independent ball, Watson received a call from one of his former Bowie Baysox coaches asking him to try out.
“I wasn’t all for it,” Watson said. “I don’t dance. I’m not that outgoing. I’m not that person.”
His wife convinced him to go, so Watson taught himself how to do a backflip in a day and then headed to tryouts.
A few months later, he was told he made the Firefighters, the league’s brand new third team.
On his 14-hour drive over to get to the team, Watson called his wife, ready to back out and go home.
She told him to give it a shot, so he did, and after one week, he never looked back.
“I called her and said, ‘I’m having the time of my life,’” Watson said. “‘The boys are awesome. We’re having a blast, it’s so much fun. I feel like a kid again.’ Ever since that first week, I’ve fallen in love with Banana Ball and everything that it stands for.”
Now on the Texas Tailgaters team, catching a fly ball while doing a backflip has become one of his signature “trick plays.” Exactly as it sounds, they are counted on the scoreboard when players complete a unique trick with the ball during a play.
“We’re still playing the game of baseball but adding some flair to it,” Watson said. “Trick plays make it a little more difficult in that aspect of defense, but overall, you’re still playing baseball.”
While still playing the game he loves, Watson can explore his newfound love for entertaining. Before Banana Ball, he rarely talked with anyone after a game, unlike today.
“One of the best things is talking to fans after the game,” Watson said. “No matter how you do on the day, you go out there, and the little kids are so happy to see you and get your autograph, and it really turns your world around.”
When Watson arrived at LSU this weekend, he felt the love.
Back like he never left, the former Tiger played baseball in his college jersey for two sold-out home crowds at Alex Box. Fans were ecstatic for his return, with many wearing their own Watson jerseys.
One of the highlights of his return was being reunited with a fan who caught one of his past home run balls.
His best moment at bat came during Saturday night’s tiebreaker showdown that decided the game.
Watson hit one last ball, driving it past the sole outfielder. The crowd was fired up as he flew around the bases and sprinted home. He gave the Tailagaters the one-run lead that would ultimately win them the game–a perfect sendoff for the home hero.
Although it’s goodbye for now, Watson promises to keep having fun and playing the game he loves, because if Baton Rouge stays on Banana Ball’s schedule, this might not be his last homecoming.