| Zak Kent | |
|---|---|
| Cleveland Guardians – No. 61 | |
| Pitcher | |
| Born:February 24, 1998 Henrico, Virginia, U.S. | |
Bats: Right Throws: Right | |
| MLB debut | |
| April 23, 2025, for the Cleveland Guardians | |
| MLB statistics (through June 26,2025) | |
| Win–loss record | 0–0 |
| Earned run average | 6.14 |
| Strikeouts | 8 |
| Stats at Baseball Reference | |
| Teams | |
| |
Zachary Allen Kent (born February 24,1998) is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Cleveland Guardians of Major League Baseball (MLB).
Kent attended Northumberland High School in Heathsville,Virginia. [1] [2] As a sophomore Kent was a member of their 1A State Championship team in 2014;a season in which he hit .315 and posted a 1.96 ERA. [3] [4] Kent was named the Virginia High School League's 1A All-State as a pitcher in his senior season of 2016. [5] Undrafted out of high school,Kent attended the Virginia Military Institute (VMI) to play college baseball for the VMI Keydets for three seasons. Kent enjoyed his best season as a junior in 2019,when he went 5–5 with a 4.64 ERA and 132 strikeouts over 97 innings. [6]
The Texas Rangers selected Kent in the ninth round,with the 265th overall selection,of the 2019 MLB draft. [7] [8] He signed with Texas for a $140,000 signing bonus. [9]
Kent split his professional debut season of 2019 between the AZL Rangers of the Rookie-level Arizona League and the Spokane Indians of the Low-A Northwest League,going combined 0–1 with a 5.12 ERA and 18 strikeouts over 19+1⁄3 innings. [6] Kent did not play in 2020 due to the cancellation of the Minor League Baseball season because of the COVID-19 pandemic. He opened the 2021 season with the Hickory Crawdads of the High-A East, going 6–2 with a 2.83 ERA and 78 strikeouts over 60+1⁄3 innings. [10] [11] After being promoted to the Frisco RoughRiders of the Double-A Central in August, he posted a 0–4 record with a 5.34 ERA and 39 strikeouts over 28+2⁄3 innings. [12] [13] Kent split the 2022 season between Frisco and the Round Rock Express of the Triple-A Pacific Coast League, going a combined 3–4 with a 3.94 ERA and 110 strikeouts over 109+2⁄3 innings. [14] [15]
On November 15, 2022, the Rangers selected Kent to their 40-man roster to protect him from the Rule 5 draft. [12] [ verification needed ] Kent was optioned to Triple-A Round Rock to begin the 2023 season but was placed on the injured list after one game due to an oblique strain. [16] In just 10 games due to injury, Kent posted a 0–1 record with a 3.97 ERA, and 34 strikeouts over 34 innings. Following the 2023 season, Kent played for the Surprise Saguaros of the Arizona Fall League. [17]
On March 28, 2024, Kent was traded to the Cleveland Guardians in exchange for international bonus pool space. He was subsequently optioned to the Triple-A Columbus Clippers. [18] Kent was designated for assignment by the Guardians on June 29. [19] After clearing waivers, Kent was released by the Guardians on July 5. He re-signed with the organization on a minor league contract on July 16. [20]
On April 21, 2025, Kent was selected to the 40-man roster and promoted to the major leagues for the first time. [21]
