Zach Penrod on his Arizona Fall League experience in 2023: ‘Everybody in this room is a dude’
The Arizona Fall League will begin play next month, and before games are played, the rosters will be announced in the coming weeks.
Last season, the Red Sox sent nine members of the organization to Arizona, eight players and one coach.
Boston sent right-handed pitcher Felix Cepeda, Christopher Troye, Wyatt Olds, Bryan Mata, left-handed pitcher Zach Penrod, catcher Nathan Hickey, infielder Brainer Bonaci, outfielder Corey Rosier, and manager Iggy Suarez.
Penrod was one of the stars of the league last season and was named to the Fall Stars.
“I thought it was awesome,” said Penrod on his AFL experience last season. “I knew what the AFL was and I knew what it was all about. But I think it was the first players meeting we got in there, and they were up, and they were talking in the last three years; only two players in the AFL have ever not made their debut in a year or two afterwards. I knew this was cool, it just dawned on me in that moment. Everybody in this room is more than likely going to be in the big leagues.
“I think when that moment of realization hit, I was like, 'This is wild'. The fact that I went from where I was at the start of the year, getting picked up, and then being able to do well, and then to find myself there, I was smiling the whole time, sitting in the players' meeting. But those moments are used to think to yourself, man, I'm right here. Everybody in this room is a dude.”
Penrod is a step away from the major leagues, pitching in relief for the WooSox in an effort to possibly offer the Red Sox another left-hander out of the bullpen.
The southpaw has appeared in 21 games this season, split between the Portland Sea Dogs and the Worcester Red Sox. He has made 12 starts but has since made nine straight bullpen appearances, including back-to-back outings on Aug. 28 and 29. Penrod is 4-2 with a 6.14 ERA with three holds and 39 strikeouts with 20 walks in Triple-A.
The Idaho native is trying to become the latest AFL player to reach the big leagues, and with the Sox spiraling out of playoff contention, he is a viable candidate to be added to the 40-man roster before the regular season comes to an end.
“I see guys moving in and out here in Worcester,” said Penrod to Beyond the Monster while at Polar Park in August. “That is something that is a huge difference between Triple-A and Double-A. You do get used to seeing it, and it is always fun to show up to the locker room and see who is moving in or out. To see Gasper go up was up. I played with him with Portland too, and he is a great baseball player and person. It was so cool to see him get in the game. As far as a potential move for myself, I don’t really pay attention to the noise, to be honest.”
