SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- An unknown talent who turns heads and challenges for -- or even wins -- an Opening Day roster spot is part of the romance of Spring Training. Maybe right-handed reliever Zach Agnos will be the Valentine’s Day gift that arrives a day early -- as in, Thursday’s first workout for pitchers and catchers -- and keeps giving.
There are other candidates who have yet to be seen in the Majors but who have been to Major League camp and are higher on prospect lists. Lefty Carson Palmquist (Rockies’ No. 14 in 2024) reached Triple-A Albuquerque last year, and he is a competitor for the rotation or the bullpen. Righty Chase Dollander was the team’s first-round Draft pick in '23, and he is MLB Pipeline’s No. 25 overall prospect and Colorado’s No. 2.
Agnos was a 10th-round Draft pick in 2022 out of East Carolina, where he also played shortstop, and he finished last year as the Rockies’ No. 28 prospect. But look at last year, when righty Seth Halvorsen came from even more anonymity but finished the year in the Majors throwing nasty triple-digits fastballs.
But before Agnos makes a name on the mound, let’s find out just who he is.
Why are folks dropping his name?
Agnos posted a 1.38 ERA with 17 saves and 63 strikeouts in 52 1/3 innings combined at High-A Spokane and Double-A Hartford, using a four-pitch mix (a four-seam fastball in the mid to upper 90s, a cutter at 90-92 mph, a traditional slider at 84-85 and a split-finger changeup around 87) not often found in late-inning relievers.
Plus, Agnos’ all-around experience has helped him become adept at fielding and alert to the running game.
“He has the right emotion -- get amped up but not overamped,” Rockies coordinator of pitching strategies Flint Wallace said. “He has that ‘it’ factor. It’s hard to describe, but he seems to have that factor.”
How did he get here?
Agnos dreamed of being a position player. But when he was a sophomore at Battlefield High School in Haymarket, Va., a coach foretold his future.
“My sophomore year of high school, I’d had a pretty good outing, and my velocity was up pretty good, and my coach pulled me aside,” Agnos said. “He said, ‘Listen, buddy, I’m not going to take away the offensive and defensive side of the ball, but you need to focus on pitching. You have a really good arm and the secondary stuff.’
“Of course, me, I’m like, ‘Shut up. I’m going to be a hitter at the next level, get drafted at short and spend 15 years in the big leagues.’”
Agnos hit .296 with an .833 OPS in three seasons at ECU. But he showed real promise in 26 pitching performances, and even more by baffling prospects during the 2022 season in the Team USA program.
“I started getting big names out and feeling, ‘Maybe that’s your calling,’” Agnos said.
He’s pitching for the family
Angos’ older brother, Jake Agnos, is a left-handed pitcher drafted by the Yankees in the fourth round in 2019. He had Tommy John surgery in '21, and he is looking to sign after a showcase he held for scouts in January. The Agnoses have lived together.
“He’s dealt with adversity, and it’s inspiring,” Zach Agnos said. “He’s the reason I’m sitting here. I look in the mirror and see my brother in that same situation on the mound.”
The family, which also includes another brother, John, and a sister, Katie, lost its father, Nico, to COVID-19 in 2021.
“I make it a point of emphasis every day to call my mom [Lee], make sure she’s doing all right, and I have my family’s names and my dad’s on my glove and give it a kiss before I take the mound,” Zach Agnos said.
He’s a hoot to have around on Bark in the Park day
With Spokane, Agnos’ mound intensity melted away during those special days when the dogs were special guests.
“My brother’s got a little dog, and when I stay with him in the offseason,” Agnos said. “They’re the most helpful things on the planet. I want one. If I have a bad outing and come home to a dog, I can’t be mad. I’ll go to bed with a smile on my face.”
He has picked good mentors
In the offseason, Agnos trains at Cressey Sports Performance in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla. Being there allowed him to spend time with Rockies veteran reliever Tyler Kinley and lefty starter Austin Gomber. Kinley urged Agnos to have his arm in shape before he arrived in camp.
“He said, ‘I’m not trying to scare you; I’m just trying to get you ready,’” Agnos said. “I’ve heard it’s a different ballgame, but I also heard about the jump from High-A to Double-A.
“I’m looking forward to the challenge.”