Zach Penrod (born June 16, 1997) is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Boston Red Sox of Major League Baseball (MLB). He made his MLB debut in 2024.
Career
Amateur career
Penrod attended Columbia High School in Nampa, Idaho. He was a first-team all-conference baseball player his junior and senior seasons. He then attended Corban University. In 2016, he did not pitch, only playing as an outfielder. In 2017, he returned to the mound, with a 2.03 ERA in 9 relief appearances. Penrod then transferred to Northwest Nazarene University. In 2018, he had a 1.89 ERA in 19 innings pitched for the Nighthawks. As a batter, he hit .369 with 5 home runs in 46 games. He was named to the second-team All-Great Northwest Athletic Conference as an outfielder.
Texas Rangers
On August 2, 2018, Penrod signed with the Texas Rangers as an undrafted free agent, after he was not selected in the 2018 MLB draft. He made his professional debut with the rookie-level Arizona League Rangers, recording a 6.17 ERA with 11 strikeouts over 4 games. On April 1, 2019, Penrod underwent Tommy John surgery and was ruled out for the entirety of the year. He was released by the Rangers on June 1, 2020.
Boise Hawks
On May 27, 2021, Penrod signed with the Boise Hawks of the Pioneer League. In his first competitive baseball since 2018, Penrod started 14 games for Boise, with a 3–4 record, 5.66 ERA, and 85 strikeouts across 68+1⁄3 innings of work.
Billings Mustangs
On August 23, 2022, Penrod, Byron Smith, and Juan Teixiera were traded to the Billings Mustangs of the Pioneer League. Penrod had not pitched in the first several months of the 2022 season. In 13 games (4 starts) in 2022, he struggled to a 1–3 record and 7.40 ERA with 20 strikeouts and 2 saves across 20+2⁄3 innings.
Missoula PaddleHeads
On December 12, 2022, Penrod signed with the Missoula PaddleHeads of the Pioneer League. Penrod made 13 appearances (10 starts) for Missoula in 2023, posting a 4–1 record and 2.98 ERA with 65 strikeouts over 54+1⁄3 innings pitched.
Boston Red Sox
On August 16, 2023, Penrod signed a minor league contract with the Boston Red Sox. He made four starts for the High-A Greenville Drive down the stretch, posting a 2–1 record and 2.18 ERA with 20 strikeouts over 20+2⁄3 innings.
Penrod began the 2024 campaign with the Double-A Portland Sea Dogs before being promoted to the Triple-A Worcester Red Sox in late May. In 22 games (12 starts) between the two affiliates, he had an 8–2 record and 4.16 ERA with 93 strikeouts across 62+2⁄3 innings pitched. On September 14, Penrod was selected to the 40-man roster and promoted to the major leagues for the first time. He made his MLB debut the same day, pitching in relief at Yankee Stadium and striking out the first two batters he faced. In 7 games with Boston, Penrod had no decisions but earned 2 holds, with a 2.25 ERA and 3 strikeouts and 4 walks in 4 innings.
On March 27, 2025, Penrod was placed on the 60-day injured list a left elbow sprain.
Personal life
Penrod has three brothers, Skyler, Trevor, and JT. Their parents are Jon and Tracy Penrod.