Max Knutson
| IP | 90 |
|---|---|
| ERA | 2.4 |
| WHIP | 1.111 |
| BB/9 | 4.2 |
| SO/9 | 9 |
- Full name Max Knutson
- Born 04/01/1995 in Minneapolis, MN
- Profile Ht.: 6'2" / Wt.: 205 / Bats: L / Throws: L
- School Nebraska
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Drafted in the 12th round (361st overall) by the Baltimore Orioles in 2016 (signed for $100,000).
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Whatever team drafts Knutson knows that they will be taking on a project. Knutson shuffled between pitching sporadic innings in the bullpen and work as a midweek starter for Nebraska. A wrist wrap causes him to struggle to repeat his delivery and leads to well-below-average control, and he needs to develop a breaking ball. But Knutson has the arm strength to get drafted. He normally sits 89-92 mph, but on his best nights he'll pop a sporadic 94, 95 or 96 which shows scouts that there's plenty of arm strength in there. His changeup is a potentially average pitch, giving him the starting point of an interesting lefty power reliever, if he can sort out his delivery.
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Draft Prospects
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Whatever team drafts Knutson knows that they will be taking on a project. Knutson shuffled between pitching sporadic innings in the bullpen and work as a midweek starter for Nebraska. A wrist wrap causes him to struggle to repeat his delivery and leads to well-below-average control, and he needs to develop a breaking ball. But Knutson has the arm strength to get drafted. He normally sits 89-92 mph, but on his best nights he'll pop a sporadic 94, 95 or 96 which shows scouts that there's plenty of arm strength in there. His changeup is a potentially average pitch, giving him the starting point of an interesting lefty power reliever, if he can sort out his delivery. -
As a high school lefthander who usually pitches at 87-91 mph, Knutson seemed destined to attend Nebraska rather than head directly to pro ball. But his future may have changed on May 6, when his fastball suddenly ranged from 88-96 mph. It sat at 88-89 mph in his next start, leaving scouts to decide whether his surge was for real. Knutson's slider stands out more for its 80-81 mph velocity than its break, though he'll flash some with good shape. An athletic 6-foot-2, 205-pounder, he is also a standout in football (wide receiver) and hockey (defenseman). He's still learning to keep his delivery in sync, a task that should become easier once he focuses on baseball.
