Landon Knack

Following a promising 2021 campaign, Knack took a step back in his first full stint in Double-A last season, posting a 5.15 ERA and 1.42 WHIP (albeit with a strong 28.4 K%) over 17 starts. The right-hander's campaign was delayed by a soft-tissue injury he picked up early in camp, and he was never able to string together more than a couple strong outings, pitching five-plus innings in consecutive appearances only twice. Concerningly, Knack put up worse numbers as the season wore on; over his final eight starts, he went 0-6 with a 6.92 ERA over 26 frames. It's somewhat baffling that a hurler lauded for his control saw such regression in that area last season -- his walk rate jumped from 3.3% to 9.6% -- though it's quite possible that his inability to stay healthy (Knack also spent time on the injured list in July) was at the root of his struggles. In spite of the down season, the Dodgers remain high on Knack, and deservedly so given that his arsenal includes four potentially plus offerings. He'll have every opportunity to bounce back in 2023 and could still make his big-league debut at some time during the campaign if things fall back into place.

Knack was delayed to start the 2022 season, reportedly due to a soft-tissue injury he suffered early in spring training. Once healthy, he is expected to be assigned to Double-A Tulsa, where he struck out 27 and walked three in 22.2 innings over six starts in 2021. The sturdy 6-foot-2 righty also impressed in the Arizona Fall League, where he struck out 16 over 14.2 innings. Known as a command/control specialist when he was drafted with the 60th overall pick in 2020, Knack has since improved his stuff, now featuring a mid-90s fastball with good movement and a plus low-80s changeup. His slider and curveball are currently solid-average offerings, but if he can improve one of his breaking balls, he would have all the ingredients to be a high-quality No. 2 or No. 3 starter in the majors. Building up to around 100 innings this season would be huge for Knack, as he only managed 77 total frames in his debut season.