CLEARWATER, FL – Zachary Green loves playing baseball.
So it’s no wonder that this 18-year-old California kid signed with the Philadelphia Phillies straight out of high school.
The big leagues was the only place he ever wanted to be.
“Saying yes to going pro was very easy,” said Green, just after finishing workouts for Wednesday at the Carpenter Complex.
Bypassing college and going straight to the pros seems to be a popular choice in the minor league system, and Green isn’t taking anything lightly.
“I come to the field everyday just ready to rock and roll, that’s how I get in the zone,” said the young shortstop.
Green stresses that he is all about baseball, and he has the stats to prove it. He had a .403 batting average throughout his varsity career, and a .284 during his first season in the minors with the Gulf Coast League Phillies.
“I honestly just want to play. I’ll catch if I have to. I don’t care. I just want to hit and play,” Green told the Sacramento Baseball website shortly after he was drafted by the Phillies in the 2012 Amateur Draft.
It is because of this passion, and of course, impressive numbers, that make Green a promising all-around prospect.
He hits the ball with intense ferocity, a swing that helped him lead his minor-league team in hits (47) during the 2012 season.
The young shortstop comes to the training complex ready for whatever is thrown his way.
“[We work on] some hitting, we get to work out every day, and then some fundamentals as a team – bunting, and situational stuff,” he said.
Green has all of the stats and the mindset to possibly crack the Phillies’ roster one day. He is doing everything right to prove his decision to skip college was the right one.
Green did note of his first time in Clearwater last year, specifically the warm weather.
“Florida is pretty hot in the summer,” Green said laughing, “It was my first season in pro baseball so it was a cool experience.”
No matter where Green ends up this season, it will allow him the possibility to continue playing the game he loves, and to Green, it’s all that matter..