Rumors had it that Zack Greinke, a celebrated MLB player with a career spanning over two decades, has autism. However, neither the player nor other legitimate sources have confirmed the rumors.
That said, the MLB player has been open about his diagnosis with social anxiety disorder.
In 2006, while with the Kansas City Royals, Greinke took a leave of absence from baseball to address personal struggles. He was diagnosed with social anxiety disorder and depression.
In a 2013 interview, Greinke explained how medication, specifically Zoloft, helped him manage his anxiety, stating, “It hasn’t been hard since I started taking the medicine. I wish I knew about it before.”
People often mistook his anxiety symptoms for autism.
A notable media incident occurred in 2013 when San Diego Padres CEO Tom Garfinkel insensitively compared Greinke to the autistic character from the movie Rain Man, who is portrayed as autistic.
This happened while Garfinkel was talking about a physical altercation during a game.
Garfinkel’s comment mixed up social anxiety with autism, and people criticized him for reinforcing harmful stereotypes. After facing this backlash, he apologized for his words, saying:
I am deeply sorry for my insensitive remarks,” and acknowledged learning from parents of autistic children.
Tom Garfinkel
Online Discussions Fuel Speculation About Zack Greinke’s Autism Despite His Social Anxiety Diagnosis!
The speculation surrounding Greinke might be autistic or have Asperger’s syndrome, a term previously used for a milder form of autism, appears to have originated in online fan communities and media discussions.
Especially his behaviours like avoiding eye contact in interviews, giving short or literal responses, and displaying an extraordinary memory for pitching details have been interpreted by some as an indication of autism.
For instance, when asked about commuting to Dodger Stadium, he deadpanned, “I looked into [a helicopter], but I don’t think you can land at the stadium.”
This behaviour led fans on social platforms to interpret this as autistic-like literalness or social awkwardness.
Likewise, his exceptional memory, Greinke’s ability to recall specific pitches and at-bats from years prior, is frequently cited.
A Reddit user noted, “He remembers every single at with great detail,” likening it to autistic savant traits.
On top of that, these traits and his “oddball” reputation have led to widespread speculation.
Several platforms, like the Reddit community, have discussed his potential diagnosis.
In a 2020 r/Astros Reddit post titled “Zack Greinke, the Weirdest Player in Baseball,” a user commented, “I’ve long suspected he’s on the autism spectrum. Does anybody else get those vibes from him?”
Comment
byu/deerparking from discussion
inAstros
Similarly, a 2017 r/azdiamondbacks Reddit thread asked, “Does Zach Greinke have Aspergers?”
The poster cited their nephew’s Asperger’s behaviors like avoiding eye contact, being concise, and having a strong memory and compared them to Greinke’s interview style and recall of every at-bat.
Commenters agreed he might have “some very mild form of autism,” writing:
Comment
byu/flow-a from discussion
inazdiamondbacks
A recent 2023 r/baseballcirclejerk Reddit post humorously asked, “Is Zack Greinke the greatest autistic baseball player of all time?”
In April 2025, a user named @ghostapple_ari claimed Greinke “had Asperger’s, which is on the autism spectrum,” citing their background in psychology and baseball fandom. However, another user named @blinkphan countered, saying:
Zack Greinke is diagnosed with Social Anxiety Disorder, not autism. I’m sick of people self-diagnosing or appropriating it for people just cuz they think they’re weird.
In Case You Didn’t Know
- Zack Greinke is married to Emily Kuchar, a former Dallas Cowboys cheerleader and model. They married in 2009 and have three children.
- MLB player Greinke’s net worth is around $120 million. His wealth primarily comes from his successful MLB career, including contracts like the six-year, $206 million deal he signed with the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2015.
