Los Angeles Dodgers select Arkansas LHP Zach Root in 2025 MLB Draft

The Los Angeles Dodgers have selected Arkansas left-handed pitcher Zach Root with the No. 40 overall pick in the 2025 MLB Draft. Root spent one season with the Razorbacks after transferring in from East Carolina and still has one year of eligibility remaining in college if he were to opt to use it.

Root made 19 starts during his lone year in Fayetteville and led the team with 99.1 innings pitched and a 9-6 record. He had an ERA of 3.62 with 126 strikeouts to only 35 walks and was a first team All-SEC selection.

The 6-foot-2 pitcher was the ace for the Razorbacks on their run to the College World Series. He started two games in Omaha, including a 7-3 victory against UCLA. Root pitched five scoreless innings against the Bruins, throwing five strikeouts and allowing Arkansas to build a 3-0 lead early. Unfortunately, Arkansas would fail to advance to the final as it lost to LSU in the next game.

Root began his college career at East Carolina as a freshman out of Fort Myers (FL) High School. He immediately stepped in as one of the key members of the pitching staff, starting 13 of his 20 appearances during the 2023 season.

In his sophomore season with the Pirates before transferring to Arkansas, Root posted a 3.56 ERA with 76 strikeouts compared to 21 walks. He’s clearly shown consistency across all three years of college and appears MLB-ready if that’s the route he chooses to go.

What MLB Draft analysts are saying about Zach Root

MLB.com offered some additional analysis of Root in its recent scouting report on the pitcher’s draft profile. It offered a high-upside prediction on the outlook for his career, projecting him as a future starter.

“Root employs his fastball only about a third of the time, operating at 91-94 mph and reaching 97 with sink that creates ground-ball contact,” the report read. “His most effective offering is an 83-85 mph changeup with fade, and his low-80s curveball gives him a second plus pitch. He topped all D-I pitchers with 51 strikeouts via his curve. His mid-80s cutter/slider is a solid fourth option, and he uses all three of his secondaries at a roughly equal amount.

Root has an unorthodox delivery with a high leg kick and a deep arm swing that produces a three-quarters arm slot that helps him stay on top of his pitches. He throws consistent strikes but catches the heart of the plate more than he should. He’s a safe bet to become a No. 4 starter.