Longtime main league catcher Andrew Knapp introduced his retirement as a participant on his Instagram web page. “I fully devoted my life to the sport, and the sport blessed me with a lot,” he stated. “Baseball has given me relationships that I’ll have for the remainder of my life. It has taught be the right way to fail and the right way to persevere. It has taught me the right way to be assured however humble. It has taught me that folks will bear in mind you extra due to what sort of particular person you’re moderately than what sort of participant you had been.” He then goes on to thank the many individuals that helped him alongside the way in which, together with his agent, his teammates and notably his relations.
Knapp, now 33, was as soon as a notable prospect. The son of minor leaguer Mike Knapp, the youthful Knapp confirmed sufficient promise at a younger age to get drafted by the Athletics out of highschool, chosen within the forty first spherical in 2010. However Knapp determined to attend Berkeley as a substitute, turning into a full-time catcher who hit from each side of the plate. That led to the Phillies taking him within the second spherical of the 2013 draft and signing Knapp with a bonus of simply over $1MM.
His improvement was slowed considerably by Tommy John surgical procedure, which he required late in 2013, however he nonetheless put up robust offensive numbers. He slashed .280/.355/.435 in 1,173 minor league plate appearances from 2013 to 2015, manufacturing that led to a wRC+ of 132. That offense, particularly as a switch-hitter, gave Knapp some prospect helium. Going into 2016, Baseball America gave him a spot in the back of their high 100, placing him at #96.
Sadly, his main league offense by no means fairly matched his manufacturing on the farm. He confirmed a little bit of potential in his 2017 debut, producing a line of .257/.368/.368. His 27.5% strikeout price was a bit excessive however he additionally drew walks at a robust clip of 15.2%. The general manufacturing led to a wRC+ of 94, a bit under common general however respectable for a catcher.
He couldn’t preserve that stage of efficiency, nonetheless. He obtained into a minimum of 33 video games for the Phils in 5 straight seasons from 2017 to 2021 however produced a mixed line of .214/.314/.322 over that point, resulting in a 72 wRC+. His 11.9% stroll price was a stable mark however his 31.7% strikeout price was fairly excessive. That features a big .278/.404/.444 exhibiting in 2020, although that was a small pattern of 89 plate appearances and he crashed again to earth with a .152/.215/.214 line in 2021.
Knapp’s glovework was by no means particularly nicely regarded, with retailers like Baseball Prospectus and Statcast giving him adverse grades for his framing, blocking and throwing. As a prospect, it was hoped that his offense may compensate for that, although it didn’t fairly come to cross.
The Phils determined to maneuver on after that tough exhibiting from Knapp in 2021, outrighting him off the roster, which kicked off the journeyman part of his profession. He signed a minor league take care of the Reds going into 2022 however didn’t make the membership out of camp. That led to him becoming a member of the Pirates, Mariners and Giants, although he solely obtained into 16 main league video games between these three groups that 12 months. In 2023, minor league offers with the Tigers and Astros didn’t lead again to the large leagues. In 2024, he was with the Rangers on a minor league via the top of June. After being launched, he obtained a serious league take care of the Giants, however he was designated for task lower than per week later after entering into three video games. He was outrighted off the roster and elected free company at season’s finish.
Knapp has now determined to hold up his spikes and transfer onto the following part of his life. His retirement assertion didn’t lay out his profession plans, although he has beforehand expressed a need to turn into a supervisor sometime, so maybe he may begin making strikes on that trajectory now. He retires with 158 hits in 756 at-bats, together with 31 doubles, 4 triples and 13 residence runs. He scored 83 runs and drove in 66. We at MLBTR congratulate Knapp on carving out a serious league profession and want him the perfect on no matter comes subsequent.
