Los Angeles Dodgers prospect Landon Knack has been excellent as a spot starter this season.
In six starts, he has a 2.08 ERA and 0.956 WHIP with a 192 ERA+ and 25 strikeouts. Knack has 30.1 total innings on the season, giving him an average of right around five innings per start.
Despite how good the numbers have been, the Dodgers have kept Knack on a relatively short leash. He has recorded an out in the sixth inning only one time and has surpassed 76 pitches only one time.
On Friday against the San Francisco Giants, he tossed 76 pitches over 4.2 innings, but was removed despite having one earned run and seven strikeouts.
Knowing that he has a shorter leash, Knack adjusted his mindset. He spoke about what he thinks through when he’s on the mound and how it motivates him, according to Bill Plunkett of the Southern California News Group:
“I mean, you just have to continue to go all out until it’s your time to come out,” Knack said. “Make sure you’re going all-out every pitch because you don’t know when your last pitch is. Make every pitch like it’s your last one and keep it going.”
Eventually, Knack will get to a place where the Dodgers have faith in him to reach the 80 to 90-pitch mark with regularity. But for now, he is entering games with the perfect mentality for a young pitcher making starts for a championship-contending team on a temporary basis.
Knack, 26, is making the most of the opportunity he’s being given, and it stems from throwing every pitch as if it’s his last of the game. And if he can continue getting to the fifth inning with regularity and keeping the Dodgers afloat in those games, L.A. will look to reward that effort.
Landon Knack explains nickname
Knack is known an “Snacks” by many of his teammates, and he was recently asked about the origin of that nickname.
He says it stems back to his days in JUCO baseball, when he was often seen carrying around a bag of Walmart peanut butter trail mix.
And although he has stopped eating most of his favorite snacks for health reasons, the nickname has stuck around as he’s gone through the different levels of professional baseball.
He said he tries to stick to smart sweets nowadays, but will still have the occasional sour gummy candy or something of that kind.
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