Red Sox prospect Zach Penrod dominating hitters in Double-A
Through the first few months of the 2024 campaign, Zach Penrod has been one of the best pitching prospects in the Red Sox system. Every time he takes the mound, the 26-year-old has frustrated hitters while piling up strikeouts. Due to his play, his stock has been on the rise.
In 30 innings of work, Penrod has posted a 2.10 ERA and struck out 44 batters. Opponents have only hit .173 against the talented left-hander, a career low. His most recent masterpiece came on Saturday against the Somerset Patriots.
In six innings of work against the Patriots, Penrod struck out ten batters for the second straight start. He only allowed one hit and walked three batters. When batters reached base, Penrod got out of trouble while lowering his ERA in May to 1.50. Due to his recent play, the former undrafted free agent was named the Eastern League Pitcher of the Week on Monday.
As Penrod has improved his game, he has shown the ability to pitch deeper into games. In his last three starts, the Northwest Nazarene University product has pitched at least six innings twice, which has been an encouraging sign for the Red Sox. He didn’t reach that mark once in April.
While Penrod has made headlines the last few weeks, his success mirrors what he did last year. In four starts for Greenville last year, the Idaho native posted a 2.18 ERA. He only allowed five earned runs in that span and held opponents to a .205 batting average.
Although the season is far from over, Penrod has looked nearly untouchable in his last few outings. If he continues to dominate, then a promotion to Worcester could be in the future. Regardless of the lineup, he has been able to overmatch hitters and shown that he doesn’t have much left to prove in Double-A.