Zach Penrod Worcester Red Sox Pitcher

       
 
Age: 27
Born: June 16, 1997
Birthplace: Nampa, ID
Height: 6-2
Weight: 210
Bats: Left
Throws: Left
   
Drafted: Not drafted (2018)
How Acquired: Minor league free agent (Aug. 2023)
College: NW Nazarene
High School: Columbia (ID)
ETA: Early 2025

Photo © Kelly O'Connor
Zach Penrod photos by Kelly O'Connor
Pronunciation: ---
First Pro Contract: August 2, 2018 (TEX)
Signing Scout: Rick Schroeder
Signing Bonus: N/A
Rule 5 Draft Eligible: N/A
MLFA Eligible: N/A
   
Pro Debut: August 7, 2018 (AZL Rangers)
Added to 40-man: September 14, 2024 (BOS)
MLB Debut: September 14, 2024 (BOS)
Service Time (1/24): 0 days
Options Remaining: 3 (0 used)
Contract (2024): $740,000
   
Twitter: -
Instagram: @zpenrod10

 
 
 
 
 
     
  Scouting Report & Links      
         
  Physical Description: Medium, sturdy frame. Thick lower half, no remaining projection.

Mechanics: Throws from a three-quarters arm slot. Starts on the first base side of the rubber. Medium-high leg kick. Short arm action behind then whips the ball forward. Quick arm. Delivery can get out of sync at times and struggles to find a consistent release point.

Fastball: 96-98 mph. Tops out at 99 mph. Velocity has taken off since moving to the bullpen in the second half of the 2024 season. As a starter, mostly sat 93-96. Pitch has strong characteristics, including above-average IVB. Shows bat-missing ability both in and out of the zone. Below-average command and control profile, which limits his chances to start. Has outings where he struggles to find the zone at all, and is still working to harness his increased velocity in a short relief role. Has struggled to throw strikes in Triple-A with it and needs to find consistency within and across outings. Potential plus-to-better offering with refined command.

Changeup: 87-89 mph. Pitch shows late fade and dive when he pulls the string on it. Can slow his arm some and telegraph it, but also will throw some that are very deceptive and look exactly like a fastball until late. Potential above-average offering.

Slider: 86-90 mph. Sharp, 2-to-8 break with late bite and depth. Was thrown in the mid-80s when he worked as a starter. Will flash bat-missing ability, but lacks the consistency of his changeup. Also threw a sweeper at 82-84 mph as a starter. Potential average offering with improved consistency.
  Cutter: 90-91 mph. Short, horizontal movement. Thrown primarily against right-handed hitters. Has not thrown in the bullpen, moving to a harder slider as his primary breaking ball. Potential fringe-average offering.

Career Notes:
Was a two-way player in college, playing at NAIA Corban University for two years before transferring to Division II Northwest Nazarine University in 2018 for his junior season. Signed with the Rangers as an undrafted free agent as a pitcher in August 2018 following an outstanding summer in the collegiate West Coast League. Had Tommy John surgery in April 2019 and was released in June 2020. After rehabbing, spent May 2021 through August 2023 playing for Boise, Billings, and Missoula in the independent Pioneer League before signing with the Red Sox in August 2023 and joining the Greenville rotation. Pitched in the Arizona Fall League in 2023 and was named to the Fall Stars Game. Missed nearly two months in June/July 2024 due to a left shin injury. Moved into a bullpen role shortly after returning in early August. Received his first MLB call-up in mid-September 2024. Would have been a minor league free agent following the season.

Summation: Potential middle reliever. Ceiling of a leverage reliever. Has premium stuff, but how his command and control develop will determine his ceiling. Stuff has taken off in a bullpen role; will show high-90s velocity with a solid changeup and a slider that flashes bat-missing potential. Will very likely be moved back to the rotation in 2025, but likely does not have the command profile to be able to work deeper into games. Better than your typical indy ball signing, especially given how little time he has in affiliated ball.

Links
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    Pitching Stats                                          
  year team lg level org age w l era g gs sv ip h r er hr hbp bb so whip k/9 bb/9
2018 Northwest Nazarene GNAC NCAA -- 21 1 1 1.89 13 4 1 19.0 14 10 4 1 1 17 22 1.63 10.42 8.05
  2018 Arizona Rangers Ariz Rk Tex 21 0 2 6.17 4 3 0 11.2 12 10 8 3 3 6 16 1.54 12.34 4.63
  2021 Boise Hawks Pio Indy --- 24 3 4 5.66 14 14 0 68.1 65 48 43 10 3 42 85 1.57 11.20 5.53
  2022 Boise Hawks Pio Indy --- 25 0 2 6.97 3 3 0 10.1 11 9 8 1 0 8 11 1.84 9.58 6.97
  2023 Missoula Paddleheads Pio Indy --- 26 4 1 2.98 13 10 2 54.1 39 29 18 8 - 32 65 1.31 10.80 5.30
2023 Greenville Drive SAL A+ Bos 26 2 1 2.18 4 4 0 20.2 16 5 5 1 0 11 20 1.31 8.71 4.79
  2023 Glendale Desert Dogs AFL Fall Bos 26 1 1 1.29 4 4 0 14.0 8 5 5 1 1 8 14 1.21 9.00 5.14
2024 Portland Sea Dogs East AA Bos 27 4 0 2.80 7 7 0 35.1 23 12 11 3 3 13 53 1.02 13.50 3.31
2024 Worcester Red Sox IL AAA Bos 27 4 2 5.93 15 5 0 27.1 26 18 18 2 1 20 40 1.68 13.17 6.59
2024 Boston Red Sox AL MLB Bos 27 0 0 2.25 7 0 0 4.0 3 2 1 0 1 4 3 1.75 6.75 9.00
2025 Boston Red Sox AL MLB Bos 28     stats                            
   
     
  Advanced Stats & Splits
   
     
  Awards   SoxProspects.com Awards  
  2023 Arizona Fall League Fall Star 
Eastern League Pitcher of the Week (May 13-19, 2024)
Red Sox Minor League Pitcher of the Month (May 2024)
  SoxProspects.com Pitcher of the Week (September 11-17, 2023)
SoxProspects.com Pitcher of the Week (April 15-21, 2024)
 
   

   
     
 
 
 
     
 
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