Andrew Knapp Stats & Scouting Report

AB	6
AVG	.167
OBP	.167
SLG	.167
HR	0

Full name Andrew Michael Knapp
Born 11/09/1991 in Roseville, CA
Profile Ht.: 6'1" / Wt.: 189 / Bats: S / Throws: R
School California
Debut 04/06/2017
Drafted in the 2nd round (53rd overall) by the Philadelphia Phillies in 2013 (signed for $1,033,100).

View Draft Report

Knapp slipped to the Athletics in the 41st-round in 2010 out of Granite Bay (Calif.) High because teams knew he wanted to follow in his father's footsteps. Knapp's father Mike was also a catcher at California from 1985-86 and went on to catch professionally for 11 years. A switch-hitter, Knapp hit just .253/.334/.386 during his first two seasons for the Golden Bears, but has boosted his average nearly 100 points this spring and was fourth in the Pacifc-12 Conference in home runs. His defense needs work and he's presently a below-average receiver, after splitting last season between first base and right field. Aside from summer ball, this is the first year he has caught regularly since high school. At 6-foot-1 and 192 pounds, Knapp is athletic and has the hands, feet and above-average arm strength to make it work behind the plate. He just needs more repetitions and coaching.

Top Rankings

Organization Prospect Rankings

The organization's minor league player of the year in 2015, Knapp's offensive performance was steady but not quite as robust in 2016 with Triple-A Lehigh Valley. Knapp is a switch-hitter with good balance at the plate, though he got himself in trouble in 2016 when he tried to do too much to force power and got big with his swing, rather staying back and trusting his hands. His strikeout rate also jumped a tick from 2015 as he started to chase more pitches out of the zone. He has a chance to develop into an average hitter who works gap to gap with enough power for 10-15 home runs. Knapp earns high praise for his intelligence and game awareness behind the plate, both in terms of his leadership and game-calling skills. He had Tommy John surgery in 2013, which has slowed his development as a catcher, particularly in terms of his blocking and receiving. He has a solid-average arm and a quick exchange, however, and threw out 38 percent of basestealers. After a full year of at-bats in Triple-A, Knapp could open 2017 in Philadelphia. He should be at least a steady backup with a chance to be a regular.
Knapp's career hit a bump in the road shortly after he signed for $1,033,100. He felt a pop in his throwing arm during instructional league in 2013 and required Tommy John surgery. While he played 98 games in 2014, he spent just 42 behind the plate. He caught 94 games in 2015, broke out with the bat and earned the organization's minor league player of the year honors. Knapp's bat will be his carrying tool. He's a switch-hitter with a balanced swing from both sides of the plate and power to each pull side. He hits better against righthanders--all but three of his 13 home runs this year came against them--but his numbers against southpaws improved greatly once he moved to Double-A. He also shows enough plate discipline and doesn't chase many pitches out of the zone. There still is some honing to do when it comes to blocking and receiving, but scouts praise Knapp's ability to call a game as well as his quick release. He used a solid-average arm to throw out 36 percent of basestealers. After a magnificent second half at Double-A Reading, plus a stint in the Arizona Fall League, Knapp probably will move up to Triple-A Lehigh Valley, where most of the club's top-end prospects will play in 2016.
Drafted in the second round in 2013 out of California, Knapp signed with the Phillies for $1,033,100. The switch-hitting catcher hit .253/.340/.401 at short-season Williamsport in his first pro campaign, but he felt his elbow pop during instructional league and needed Tommy John surgery. The procedure cost him the first month and change of 2014, and he served solely as DH until June 12. Knapp wasn't a particularly polished defender before the injury, and that remains the case. Evaluators note that he tends to stab at balls but is an adequate blocker. He understandably looked tentative on throws in 2014, and his arm, while accurate, ranged from below-average to average, throwing out just 19 percent of basestealers. He's a solid hitter who takes a good angle to the ball and keeps the barrel in the zone a long time. Knapp has pull-side power and the potential for 10-12 home runs in the big leagues. As with most catchers, he's a well below-average runner. Knapp appears destined for high Class A Clearwater in 2015 with the potential to move to Double-A Reading at midseason.
After starting the 2013 draft with prep shortstop J.P. Crawford, Phillies scouting director Marti Wolever scooped up Knapp, a switch-hitting, bat-first backstop with an above-average arm and a chance to improve behind the plate. Evaluators in the short-season New York-Penn League liked Knapp's chances to hit long-term but weren't as sold on his power potential. He caught just 21 of his 62 games with the Crosscutters, and his bat is far ahead of his glove. That's a bit of a surprise considering Knapp's father Mike also was a catcher, first at California like Knapp, then in pro ball for 11 years. Knapp felt something pop in his elbow while in instructional league and had Tommy John surgery in October, which obviously will slow his development. The rehab for TJ is quicker for position players, and Knapp likely will be ready to play when extended spring training begins in 2014. He'll get at-bats as a DH before gradually easing back behind the plate. Knapp played first base and right field at California but has the athleticism, hands and above-average arm strength to make catching work, if he puts in the time and hard work. Knapp's pro career got off to a rocky start, but he should be able to play most of next season at low Class A Lakewood.

Draft Prospects

Knapp slipped to the Athletics in the 41st-round in 2010 out of Granite Bay (Calif.) High because teams knew he wanted to follow in his father's footsteps. Knapp's father Mike was also a catcher at California from 1985-86 and went on to catch professionally for 11 years. A switch-hitter, Knapp hit just .253/.334/.386 during his first two seasons for the Golden Bears, but has boosted his average nearly 100 points this spring and was fourth in the Pacifc-12 Conference in home runs. His defense needs work and he's presently a below-average receiver, after splitting last season between first base and right field. Aside from summer ball, this is the first year he has caught regularly since high school. At 6-foot-1 and 192 pounds, Knapp is athletic and has the hands, feet and above-average arm strength to make it work behind the plate. He just needs more repetitions and coaching.

Minor League Top Prospects

After missing time to rehab from Tommy John surgery he had in 2013, the Phillies got a glimpse of the player on which they gambled a second-round pick. After a fairly pedestrian stop at high Class A Clearwater in the first half of 2015, Knapp's bat exploded once he got to Reading. Managers across the EL praised Knapp's swing from both sides of the plate, especially taking time to note his smooth, level stroke and quick hands. He's a powerful hitter who uses the whole field and knows when to be aggressive and when to take a little more time to find the pitch he likes. Knapp isn't an elite defender behind the plate, but he's not a liability, either. That's especially true now that his throwing arm is back to full strength. His hands are soft but also strong enough to freeze borderline pitches in the strike zone. He's got a little sharpening to do when it comes to blocking pitches, but evaluators praised his footwork and quick release on throws to bases. He projects as an offensive catcher who does damage from both sides of the plate.