Former Durant High School and Florida State pitcher Jonah Scolaro signed with the Chicago White Sox as a nondrafted free agent on July 21, following the conclusion of the 2022 MLB Draft.
As a four-year starter at Durant, the tall lefty was a standout in Hillsborough County as both a pitcher and outfielder. As a sophomore, Scolaro finished the 2015 season with a 1.24 earned run average, 92 strikeouts and a 9-1 record over 14 appearances. As a junior, he finished the 2016 season with a 1.23 ERA, 127 strikeouts and an 8-4 record over 14 appearances. As a Senior, he finished the 2017 season with a 0.79 ERA, 81 strikeouts and a 5-2 record over nine appearances, allowing just five earned runs over 44.1 innings pitched.
Scolaro was named honorable mention All-Hillsborough County by the Tampa Bay Times as an outfielder as a freshman, a first team pitcher as a sophomore, a second team pitcher as a junior and a first team outfielder as a senior, batting .385 with two home runs, two triples and nine doubles over his final high school season, on top of his impressive statline on the mound. His 306 career strikeouts set a record for the most in Durant history.
Once crosstown rivals, Scolaro became teammates with former Plant City pitcher Parker Messick at Florida State – drafted 54th overall in the second round by the Cleveland Guardians in 2022 – when he joined the team in 2020, Scolaro’s junior season.
Over five seasons with the Seminoles, Scolaro compiled a 7-8 record with a 3.62 ERA, 12 saves and 211 strikeouts over 166.2 innings pitched, the fourth-highest mark in program history. He garnered Freshman All-American honors from Collegiate Baseball in 2018 and was named a Summer 2021 Cape Cod League All-Star as a member of the Hyannis Harbor Hawks.
In June, following the conclusion of his college career, Scolaro joined and made his professional debut with the High Point Rockers of the independent Atlantic League of Professional Baseball. With the Rockers, he posted a 2-3 record with a 5.53 ERA and 28 strikeouts in 27.2 innings over six starts.