Zach Root takes goal-oriented approach as MLB Draft prospect
FORT MYERS, Fla. (BVM) – For many baseball fans, it is a lifetime goal to attend spring training. For Zach Root, it was right in his backyard.
The Fort Myers native would attend games frequently every March at JetBlue Park and Hammond Stadium, the homes of the Red Sox and the Twins respectively. Watching the pros handle their business up close is where Root’s love of the game stemmed from.
“It looked like it was fun and something I wanted to do,” Root said.
Years later, Root has set himself up to play for quite a while. The high school senior out of Fort Myers High School is the No. 263 draft prospect according to Prospects Live and is a East Carolina commit.
The 6-foot-2 lefty sits in the low 90s with his fastball that pairs with an excellent changeup. Root finished his final year of high school going 6-2 with a 1.50 ERA and 96 strikeouts in 51.1 innings.
With dominant start after dominant start, Root saw his draft stock consistently rise throughout the season. It is now to the point where he will likely have to make a decision in July if he wants to go the college route or if he wants to go ahead and start his professional career.
“All of this MLB talk came around in the last month or two and it just kind of sprung upon us,” Root said. “We’re still just trying to wrap our heads around it. We’re trying to not get too stressed about it and keep having fun.”
With Root’s future looking bright, the journey to get to this point had some ups and downs.
Root had originally committed to the Florida Gators as a high school freshman, but he received a call entering the summer of his senior year that his scholarship was being pulled. With the extra year of eligibility granted by the NCAA for each player during the COVID-19 pandemic, Florida’s roster was too big to keep Root’s commitment.
Fortunately, it did not take long for Root to reassure his college career, as he committed to the Pirates’ baseball program in September.
I’m extremely blessed and humbled to announce that I will be furthering my academic and baseball career at East Carolina University. I’d like to thank everyone who has been there with me throughout the process. Go Pirates💜💛 pic.twitter.com/dOH2oLWnpp
— Zach Root (@ZachRoot07) September 14, 2021
“I just did my research on them,” Root said. “The campus was amazing, the facilities were amazing and I really bonded with the coaches. I got there and it just felt like that was where I needed to be.”
Regardless of the route Root takes, he has put himself in this position by setting the bar high and not settling for anything less.
“I’m goal-oriented,” Root said. “Before it was to make the varsity team as a freshman. Then it was to get a scholarship to keep playing baseball in college. Every goal I set now is a little bit tougher and challenging because the stakes are getting higher.”
Root’s ultimate goal in the long run is to be able to give back to his parents who gave so much to make him the pitcher and the man he is today.
“I’ll hopefully be successful enough to pay back my parents for all they’ve done for me,” Root said. “Just driving all over Florida and the Southeast region. Spending all of their time and money just so I could be successful and giving me all of the opportunities I’ve had.”
