• Full name Christian Joseph Michael Knapczyk
  • Born 12/16/2001 in Palos Park, IL
  • Profile Ht.: 5'9" / Wt.: 165 / Bats: L / Throws: R
  • School Louisville
  • Drafted in the 5th round (161st overall) by the Cleveland Guardians in 2023 (signed for $385,000).
    View Draft Report
    School: Louisville Source: 4YR

    Commit/Drafted: Never Drafted
    Age At Draft: 21.6
    BA Grade:45/High
    Tools:Hit: 55. Power: 20. Run: 60. Field: 55. Arm: 45.

    Knapczyk has steadily improved his offensive production since getting to Louisville, while showing standout bat-to-ball skills each season. During his 2023 draft year, the 5-foot-9, 165-pound shortstop hit .331/.455/.408 with just one home run, but 19 stolen bases, a 9% strikeout rate and 9.9% walk rate. There’s a bit of a Nick Madrigal-esque profile with Knapczyk, as an undersized and light-hitting middle infielder who is a shortstop now and might slide over to second base in pro ball. He has homered just three times in his college career, and in 2023 posted an 83 mph average exit velocity and 99.4 mph 90th percentile mark. He’s got bottom-of-the-scale power without the physical projection to dream of more coming, and should instead find success as a hitter by grinding out at-bats, taking walks and spraying the ball to all fields with plus contact skills. He made contact at an 89% rate this spring, though he does add a bit more swing-and-miss vs. secondary pitches. Knapczyk is a plus runner with impressive defensive actions and hands up the middle, but his fringe-average throwing arm might play better at second base—though sticking at shortstop would likely help his overall profile and could allow him to have value as a super-utility infield type.

Top Rankings

Draft Prospects

Career Transactions

  • Cleveland Guardians signed SS Christian Knapczyk.
  • SS Christian Knapczyk assigned to Louisville Cardinals.

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