Clayton Kershaw is widely regarded as the best pitcher of his generation and a prime candidate to be studied and inspired by.
Such is the case for new Los Angeles Dodgers draft pick Zach Root. He was drafted by the Dodgers with the No. 40 overall pick, which was their first selection for 2025.
It came in the middle of Competitive Balance Round A, which technically is part of the first round of the MLB Draft. The Dodgers’ first draft pick in 2025 was dropped 10 spots because of exceeding the second luxury tax threshold with their payroll for 2024.
Root began his collegiate career at East Carolina University, where he pitched for two seasons before transferring to the University of Arkansas.
“It had everything to do with the pitching coach and the strength coach,” Root said of his transfer decision. “At ECU, our strength coach was leaving, and also Matt Hobbs, the pitching coach (at Arkansas), is the best at what he does. I saw what he did with the pitching staff last year, and I thought that’s who I want to go pitch for.
“On the strength coach side of it, I thought one of the biggest ways I could get better was to get in the weight room, get bigger, get stronger, get more athletic. Our strength coach is one of the best in the business at that department as well.”
Zach Root studied Clayton Kershaw
Root is a Florida native but grew up with the Dodgers as his favorite team and in particular keeping a keen eye on Kershaw.
“Growing up, my dad always made me watch Kershaw and kind of learned to pitch like him. I’ve just been watching Dodger baseball for as long as I can remember, because of Kershaw,” Root revealed.
Given that Root turned 21 years old in February, he would have been at an impressionable age and plenty capable of remembering Kershaw arguably at his peak during an MVP season in 2014.
As for getting drafted by his childhood team, Root said he “couldn’t be any happier.”
Have you subscribed to the Dodger Blue YouTube channel? Be sure to ring the notification bell to watch player interviews, participate in shows and giveaways, and stay up to date on all Dodgers news and rumors!
