Zak Kent #54

Zachary Allen Kent...wife, Naomi...pitched three seasons at Virginia Military Institute, making 50 appearances (37 starts) for the Keydets from 2017-19...earned second team All-Southern Conference honors in 2019...his 132 strikeouts set a school record, led the Southern Conference and ranked ninth in the nation...finished his college career fourth in program history with 258 strikeouts...played baseball, football and golf at Northumberland (Va.) HS...grew up an Orioles fan...off-field interests include hunting, farming and nature.

2025

Was an invite to Cleveland’s Spring Training and began season with Triple-A Columbus...Contract purchased by Guardians on April 21 and made Major League debut on April 23 vs. New York-AL, allowing one run on three hits in three innings pitched, with two walks and four strikeouts...first career strikeout was of Anthony Volpe...Had seven different stints with Cleveland and finished season with Guardians from Sept. 4-28...in that span, posted a 3.48 ERA (10.1 IP, 4 ER) with eight strikeouts and a .225 opponent batting average...Earned his first Major League win in his 12th and final appearance of the season...pitched two innings and allowed his only home run of the season in a Guardians 9-8 walk-off win over Texas in 10 innings...Held right-handed batters to a .552 OPS with only one extra base hit (double) in 31 total batters faced.

2024

Acquired out of Spring Training by Cleveland from Texas for cash considerations...Was limited to 14 games/3 starts at AAA Columbus due to a right elbow strain, which sidelined him from April 15 to Aug. 6...During his IL stint was designated for assignment on June 29 and released a week later (re-signed on July 16)... Spent two weeks at Cleveland Arizona rookie affiliate from July 25-Aug. 6 before being activated at Columbus, spending the remainder of the campaign mainly in a relief role.... Walked 19 and fanned 29 batters in 23.2 Triple-A innings...After the season pitched for Surprise in the Arizona Fall League, going 3-0 with a 3.78 ERA in five games/3 GS (16.2IP, 8H, 2ER, 9BB, 18SO, .140AVG).

2023

Posted an 0-1 mark with a 3.97 ERA (15 ER/34.0 IP) and 34 strikeouts over 10 starts for Triple-A Round Rock…was placed on 7-day Injured List on 4/12 with a strained oblique muscle…completed three-game rehab assignment with the ACL Rangers 7/15-28 before being activated from I.L. on 8/5… rejoined the Express and made start that night, tossing 3.0 SHO IP at OKC in his first start back from injury (1 H, 0 BB, 3 SO, 60 pitches)…had back-to-back scoreless outings on 8/24 vs. SL and 8/30 at OKC, totaling 7.1 IP over which he allowed just four hits and two walks while fanning eight…posted season highs in strikeouts (6) and innings (5.0) in 9/12 start vs. LV (1 H, 1 R-ER, 0 BB)…including his rehab stint, saw an uptick in strikeouts per 9.0 in 2023 (9.5; 9.0 in 2022), while lowering his walks allowed per 9.0 to 2.9 (3.5 in 2022)…his 3.40 SO/BB figure with Round Rock ranked 12th among all Pacific League hurlers (min. 30.0 IP)…held opposing lefties to a .185 (15-81) batting avg., while right-handers hit .260 (19-73) off of him… righties accounted for five of the seven homers allowed by Kent…Six of his seven homers allowed came with the bases empty…made five starts for the Surprise Saguaros of the Arizona Fall League, going 1-2 with a 8.10 ERA (15 ER/16.2 IP)…tossed 5.0 IP of one-run ball on 10/10 at SCO (4 H, 0 BB, 6 SO), earning his lone victory of Fall play.

2022

Went 3-4 with a 3.94 ERA (48 ER/109.2 IP) over 24 starts at Frisco (AA) and Round Rock (AAA), logging the fourth-most innings and 12th-most strikeouts (110) of any Rangers minor league pitcher...returned to Frisco, where he finished the 2021 campaign, and went 2-3 with a 4.68 ERA (43 ER/82.2 IP) and 87 SO/30 BB in 19 starts before earning a promotion to Round Rock on 8/31...posted a 1-1 record, 1.67 ERA (5 ER/27.0 IP), and 23 SO/13 BB in five starts for the Express, allowing one-or-zero runs in four of the five outings...endured brief stint on Injured List from 8/6- 12 with a hamstring injury…earned a win in his Cactus League ‘A’ game outing on 4/2 vs. CLE (2.0 IP, 1 R-ER, 2 BB, 0 SO). 

2021

Totaled a 6-6 record, 3.64 ERA (36 ER/89.0 IP), and 117 strikeouts over 20 games/15 starts for Frisco (AA) and Hickory (A+)…struck out 31.9% (117 of 367) batters faced, the 3rd-highest strikeout rate by a Texas farmhand in 2021 (min. 80 IP) behind Avery Weems (34.5%) and Cole Winn (32.2%)…opened the year with an 18.2-inning scoreless streak as a reliever for Hickory before joining the rotation in mid-June and going 4-2, 4.10 (19 ER/41.2 IP) in nine starts…twice earned High-A East Pitcher of the Week honors (7/12-18 and 8/2-8), with the latter award coming after a career-high 13 K’s on 8/5 at Greensboro…promoted to Frisco on 8/10 and went winless (0-4) in six starts for the RoughRiders to finish the campaign while continuing to rack up strikeouts at the higher level (12.2 SO/9).

2020

Did not see official game action after minor league season was canceled due to pandemic…recorded 25 strikeouts over 17.0 IP in the Fall Developmental League, tied with Cody Bradford for the most strikeouts among Rangers pitchers…opposing batters scored 3 runs on 14 hits and nine walks.

2019

Went 0-1, 5.12 (11 ER/19.1 IP) in 11 G/7 GS for Short-A Spokane and the AZL Rangers (Rk.) in his pro debut… had at least one strikeout in all 11 games.