Donovan Zsak Stats & Scouting Report

IP	9.2
ERA	1.86
WHIP	1.24
BB/9	9.31
SO/9	12.1

Full name Donovan Michael Zsak
Born 07/12/2003 in Summit, NJ
Profile Ht.: 6'3" / Wt.: 185 / Bats: L / Throws: L
Drafted in the 8th round (235th overall) by the Cleveland Guardians in 2024 (signed for $200,000).

View Draft Report

School: Rutgers
Commit/Drafted: Never Drafted
Age at Draft: 21.0

Zsak is a 6-foot-3, 200-pound lefthander and redshirt sophomore who missed the 2023 season with injury. He was a reliable reliever for Rutgers during the 2024 season, where he posted a 4.11 ERA over 35 innings, including four starts, with a 26.4% strikeout rate and 13.5% walk rate. Zsak works with an overhead windup and throws from a three-quarters slot with quick arm speed and mostly pitches off a fastball that averaged 93 mph and has been up to 98-99 at peak. The pitch features above-average riding life and is thrown with a reasonably flat approach angle that helps it play up and he generated a strong 33% miss rate with it this spring. While Zsak uses the fastball more than 80% of the time, he’ll also mix in a mid-70s curveball and low-to-mid-80s changeup. He has below-average control and pitched with Bourne in the Cape Cod League after the spring season.

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Draft Prospects

School: Rutgers Commit/Drafted: Never Drafted
Age At Draft: 21
Zsak is a 6-foot-3, 200-pound lefthander and redshirt sophomore who missed the 2023 season with injury. He was a reliable reliever for Rutgers during the 2024 season, where he posted a 4.11 ERA over 35 innings, including four starts, with a 26.4% strikeout rate and 13.5% walk rate. Zsak works with an overhead windup and throws from a three-quarters slot with quick arm speed and mostly pitches off a fastball that averaged 93 mph and has been up to 98-99 at peak. The pitch features above-average riding life and is thrown with a reasonably flat approach angle that helps it play up and he generated a strong 33% miss rate with it this spring. While Zsak uses the fastball more than 80% of the time, he’ll also mix in a mid-70s curveball and low-to-mid-80s changeup. He has below-average control and pitched with Bourne in the Cape Cod League after the spring season.
School: St. Joseph HS, Hammonton, N.J. Committed/Drafted: Virginia
Age At Draft: 19
Zsak committed to Virginia before his freshman season of high school, but in August 2020 his progression slowed after he had Tommy John surgery in August 2020 when he was 17. That limited scouts’ looks at him last summer heading into his senior year, but he looked strong at indoor workouts coming into the season and has continued to intrigue with his stuff this spring. He’s a 6-foot-3 lefty with a fastball that has been up to 95 mph, though it’s more often in the 88-93 mph range. Even in the upper-80s, Zsak’s fastball plays above the radar gun readings with its ability to ride up in the zone and miss bats. Zsak pairs his fastball with a curveball that flashes tight rotation and is an average pitch at times. There is effort to Zsak’s delivery, which impedes his control and adds more durability risk on top of the medical history. He’s a Virginia commit who many scouts consider a high probability to make it to campus.