Zac Grotz

Zachary Dylan Grotz (born February 17, 1993) is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Charros de Jalisco of the Mexican League. He has previously played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Seattle Mariners. Listed at and , he throws and bats right-handed.

Career Grotz attended Burlingame High School in Burlingame, California. He attended Cal State Monterey Bay in 2012, playing college baseball for the Otters. He then transferred to the University of Tennessee and played for the Volunteers in 2014. Grotz transferred to Embry–Riddle Aeronautical University for the 2015 season.

Houston Astros Grotz was drafted by the Houston Astros in the 28th round, with the 829th overall selection, of the 2015 Major League Baseball draft. He split the 2015 season between the Rookie league Greeneville Astros and the Low-A Tri-City ValleyCats, registering a combined 5–3 record with a 3.27 earned run average (ERA). Grotz was released by the Astros organization on April 2, 2016. In 29 appearances with Washington, Grotz recorded a 4–2 record and 1.36 ERA with 51 strikeouts in innings of work.

Los Angeles Dodgers On August 18, 2016, Grotz's contract was sold to the Los Angeles Dodgers organization. He pitched in five games for the rookie-level Ogden Raptors, posting a 4–0 record and 0.50 ERA, but was released on September 18.

Bridgeport Bluefish On February 14, 2017, Grotz signed with the Bridgeport Bluefish of the independent Atlantic League of Professional Baseball. In 67 appearances for Bridgeport in 2017, Grotz logged a 4–3 record and 3.77 ERA with 80 strikeouts in 74 innings pitched. He became a free agent after the season.

York Revolution On March 1, 2018, Grotz returned to the Atlantic League, signing with the York Revolution. In 7 games with York, Grotz registered a 2–1 record and 2.53 ERA with 33 strikeouts in 32 innings of work.

New York Mets On June 15, 2018, Grotz's contract was purchased by the New York Mets organization.

Seattle Mariners On February 21, 2019, Grotz signed a minor league contract with the Seattle Mariners organization. He opened the 2019 season with the Double-A Arkansas Travelers. He made his major league debut on August 2 against the Houston Astros, allowing one run over two innings pitched. During the 2019 season, Grotz appeared in 14 games with the Mariners, all in relief, pitching to a 0–1 record with 4.15 ERA and 18 strikeouts in innings pitched.

During the shortened 2020 season, Grotz appeared in five games with the Mariners, with no decisions and a 14.73 ERA and four strikeouts in innings pitched. On September 1, 2020, Grotz was outrighted off of the Mariners' 40-man roster. He did not play in a minor league game due to the cancellation of the minor league season because of the COVID-19 pandemic and became a free agent on November 2. He was assigned to the Triple-A Worcester Red Sox and spent time on the injured list until making his season debut on June 11. spending the rest of the season on the injured list.

Acereros de Monclova On May 27, 2022, Grotz signed with the Acereros de Monclova of the Mexican League.

Kansas City Monarchs On August 26, 2023, Grotz was loaned to the Kansas City Monarchs of the American Association of Professional Baseball. In two starts for the Monarchs, Grotz posted a strong 0.82 ERA with 12 strikeouts across 11 innings of work.

Acereros de Monclova (second stint) On October 12, 2023, following the American Association season, Grotz was returned to the Acereros de Monclova of the Mexican League. He made 14 starts for Monclova in 2024, compiling a 7–1 record, 81 strikeouts, and a league–leading 2.35 ERA across innings pitched.

Diablos Rojos del México On January 17, 2025, Grotz was traded to the Diablos Rojos del México of the Mexican League in exchange for Steven Moyers. In 12 appearances (10 starts) for México, Grotz logged a 3-5 record and 5.34 ERA with 51 strikeouts across innings pitched.

Charros de Jalisco On July 1, 2025, Grotz, Trevor Clifton, and Greg Minier were traded to the Charros de Jalisco of the Mexican League. In 6 starts he threw 27.2 innings going 2-1 with a 5.86 ERA and 29 strikeouts.