Rank History
| Year | Team | Position | Team Rank | OFP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | SD | RHP | 30 | 35 |
Grades Update: Mar 2021
| OFP | Role | FB | SL | CH | Cnt/Cmd |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 35 | 30 | 55 | 45 | 55 | 50/45 |
Mar 2021 Report
Evaluator: Danny Brackman
Age: 24 yr
Height: 6-2
Weight: 205 lbs
Hits/Throws: L/R
Acquired: 2018 Round 20
RuleV: 2021
Physical Description: Medium compact frame. Thick legs and strong upper body. Very good functional mobility and athleticism.
Delivery & Mechanics: Hybrid wind-up. Medium leg kick into a slight backward lean to keep the trunk stacked and engage the lower half. Sinks deep into hips and moves well downhill. Good power generated but with direction sometimes inconsistent, efficiency could still be improved. High effort delivery though good arm speed and a somewhat atypical 3/4 release point created by the backward lean creates some extra deceptiveness. Repeatability has improved but still needs work.
Fastball: Sits 93-95 and can touch 97 when reaching back in short stints. Typically shows some arm side run that helps generate weak contact. Still plays well up in the zone and is capable of generating some swing and miss. Tunnels well with secondary offerings, especially the change up. Has had troubles with consistency but reportedly has been better after moving to the pen full-time. Grade: 55
Slider: 82-84 with two-plane movement. Good arm speed and quick supination. Shape can flatten out and play like a cutter at times. Release makes spin difficult for hitters to pick up even when the movement is lacking. Does leave it up over the plate frequently looking to steal strikes or generate weak contact, so expanding to the glove side more should be emphasized. Grade: 45
Changeup: 83-85 with really good fade. Keeps good arm speed and shape tunnels with fastball very well. Has good feel for spotting to the arm side. Pitch can play against either RHH and LHH when looking for both weak contact and whiffs. Cleaning up his inconsistent release could result in even better results. Grade: 55
Control and Command: Has shown good pitchability despite slight mechanical inefficiencies. Shows confidence in all three offerings however feel for locating the SL is a bit behind the FB and CH. Stays around the zone but often leaves too many pitches in hittable areas. Allows a lot of contact though stuff does play up in shorter outings. Control: 50 | Command: 45
Overall: Knehr has bounced between starting and the pen since going pro, but it appears he's finally settling in as a reliever. The switch is likely to help him conserve his stuff, as it appeared to dwindle late in the season in 2019. He performed well last fall at Instructs, so 2021 will be a critical development year to see how he handles the transition. If he can keep the current trend going, he could give an interesting look as a middle reliever.
OFP: 35
Role: 30 - Up/Down Emergency Depth
Risk: Low
