Root was selected by the Dodgers at pick No. 40, becoming the area's highest pick since Shane McClanahan was selected 30th overall in 2018.
Zach Root had to wait a little bit to hear his name called, but he couldn't have asked for a better landing spot in Major League Baseball when he heard his name called at 8:57 p.m. EST.
The Fort Myers High alum was selected with the 40th overall pick in the first round by the Los Angeles Dodgers Sunday evening in Atlanta during All-Star Weekend. Root became the highest Greenie to be selected, surpassing Adam Davis going in the third round (101st overall).
Pitching collegiately at East Carolina and most recently Arkansas, Root became the highest area selection and the first area first-round pick since Cape Coral alum and USF product Shane McClanahan was selected 30th overall by the Tampa Bay Rays in 2018.
Because the Dodgers went over the competitive balance tax, the club was docked 10 draft spots from No. 30 to 40, but that still made Root a first round pick despite being selected in the Competitive Balance Round A.
Root joins arguably the most talented team in the league, and will be in the same farm system as Mariner alum Alex Freeland, who was drafted in the third round by the Dodgers in 2022 out of Central Florida.
Zach Root at Fort Myers High
Root had a dominant senior season for Fort Myers in 2022, finishing with a 6-2 record and a 1.50 ERA, where he struck out 96 batters (13.09 K/7 ratio) across 51 1/3 innings while surrendering just two extra-base hits all year. Of his 96 strikeouts, 65 of them came against teams that advanced to the postseason in their respective classifications. Root won the Southwest Florida Baseball Player of the Year award in 2022.
With the 40th pick of the 2025 MLB Draft, the Los Angeles Dodgers select Zach Root, a left-handed pitcher from the University of Arkansas! pic.twitter.com/ojNQskhEW8
— Arkansas Baseball (@RazorbackBSB) July 14, 2025
Overall, he compiled a 13-3 overall record and a 2.16 earned run average while striking out 176 batters in 123.1 innings during his Green Wave career. He also hit .308 (68-for-221) with 46 runs scored and 39 RBI. Root signed with East Carolina out of high school.
Zach Root started his college career at East Carolina
Root pitched two seasons for the Pirates. He earned ACC All-Freshman Team honors going 3-3 record with a 5.33 ERA and 54 strikeouts in 53.2 innings including 13 starts in 20 appearances. As a sophomore, he posted a 6-2 record with a 3.56 ERA and 76 strikeouts in 68.1 innings. He issued only 21 walks and limited opposing hitters to a .228 batting average.
Zach Root at Arkansas
Transferring from East Carolina after his sophomore year, the lefty made things happen in Fayetteville for Arkansas. He went 9-6 with a 3.62 ERA, striking out 126 over 99 1/3 innings pitched and helped the Razorbacks make the College World Series. He had a WHIP of 1.18, which led to him being First Team All-SEC and a Second Team All-American by Perfect Game. His 126 strikeouts ranked fifth in Division I.
Follow Sports Reporter Alex Martin on X: @NP_AlexMartin. For the best sports coverage in Southwest Florida, follow @newspresssports and @ndnprepzone on Instagram.
This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: Los Angeles Dodgers draft Fort Myers alum Zach Root 40th overall
Category: Baseball
