Drafted in the 5th round (166th overall) by the San Francisco Giants in 2001.
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Justin Knoedler, a 13th-round pick of the Giants in 2000 and a heralded junior-college transfer, was considered a solid catching prospect. Not only was he upstaged by his twin Jason, but he also ended the season generating more interest as a pitcher. Unable to swing the bat or go behind the plate when he broke the hamate bone in his left hand, Knoedler took to the mound and was clocked up to 93-94 mph, demonstrating the arm strength that had been his best tool as a catcher. With little experience on the mound, his mechanics are raw. He has more tools than his brother, but scouts say Jason is the better player. He took to switch-hitting immediately and batted .402 with 17 homers. He runs well and excels in the outfield.
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Knoedler reached the major leagues again in 2005. He's just 1-for-11 in brief tours of duty, but that's still quite an accomplishment for someone who began his pro career as a pitcher. Perhaps the Giants were onto something back then, because his bat still has a long way to go for him to become a big league regular. While he's protected on the 40-man roster, San Francisco also likes Eliezer Alfonzo, who's also on the 40-man. Knoedler, whose twin brother Jason is a Tigers minor league outfielder, gets the edge on the prospect list because he's a much better defender and is younger than Alfonzo. Knoedler has a strong body and plus arm strength that helped him throw out 38 percent of basestealers in Triple-A last year, and he did a better job at receiving in 2005. Furthermore, he improved his game-calling skills during his apprenticeship to veteran Mike Matheny when he was called up to the big leagues. Knoedler, who has shown decent power in the past, was relatively powerless in his first stab at Triple-A. He doesn't have much plate discipline or speed, so he offered little at the plate. He also hit just .226 in 53 Arizona Fall League at-bats. With a strong spring, Knoedler could become Matheny's full-time backup in 2006.
While Knoedler caught in college until a broken left hand sidelined him in 2001, Giants scouts loved his power arm and were afraid his funky, high-maintenance swing wouldn't allow him to hit with wood. They moved him to the mound after he signed, but their catching shortage led them to put him back behind the plate in 2002, and two years later Knoedler reached the majors. It's quite an accomplishment for the organization's ultimate overachiever and hardest worker. Knoedler is also one of the Giants' strongest players, spending his offseasons in workouts with his twin brother Jason, a minor league outfielder for the Tigers, and the Dodgers' Jayson Werth. Knoedler's strength allows him to handle the demands of his position, and he led the Double-A Eastern League with 102 games caught in 2004. He has well above-average arm strength, and does a capable job of receiving and blocking pitches. He progressed with the bat last year, showing average power and hitting a career-best .274 while working from a simpler, more upright stance. He was more consistent with his swing and tinkered less, though he still has holes. San Francisco's signing of Mike Matheny blocks Knoedler for the short term, and he'll head to Triple-A in 2005.
Knoedler finally has settled behind the plate. He starred at catcher for Lincoln Land (Ill.) Community College in 1999-2000, winning the National Junior College Athletic Association championship and player-of-the-year award as a sophomore. He didn't sign as a Giants 13th-round pick in 2000, opting to transfer to Miami, where he played both ways and had much more success as a backstop. San Francisco signed Knoedler as fifth-rounder in 2001 and immediately made him a full-time pitcher. But the organization's dearth of catchers prompted the Giants to move him back behind the plate in 2002. Knoedler, whose twin brother Jason is an outfielder in the Tigers system, made great strides offensively last year to earn a spot on the 40-man roster. He overhauled his swing, straightening up his stance and showing the ability to catch up to inside pitches. His natural strength gives him average power, and he runs well and has good athleticism for his position. Arm strength is Knoedler's best tool--the Giants rate his an 80 on the 20-80 scouting scale--and he led Cal League regulars by throwing out 40 percent of basestealers. His receiving and blocking skills are average. Aside from his arm, Knoedler's greatest asset may be his throwback mentality and work ethic. If his bat develops more, the Giants see him as a starter in the big leagues. His big arm should make him at least a quality backup. He'll make the jump to Double-A in 2004.
The Giants have built their pitching depth by finding hard throwers in less-than-obvious places, often with later draft picks or converted players. They found Knoedler, who played alongside his twin brother Jason in college, behind the plate. Drafted in the 41st round in 1998 out of high school and again in the 13th round out of junior college in 1999, Knoedler was the National Junior College Athletic Association Division II player of the year for Lincoln Land (Ill.) Community College in 2000. Justin was the more highly touted Knoedler before they transferred to Miami (Ohio), but Jason had the bigger year for the RedHawks, hitting .402, earning second-team All-America honors and getting drafted in the sixth round by the Tigers. Justin hit .283-9-25 as a catcher for Miami and also made 14 appearances as a reliever, compiling a 7.02 ERA. The Giants preferred his strong arm and immediately moved him to the mound full-time. Knoedler has one of the system's better fastballs in terms of velocity, 93-96 mph, and his athleticism helps him throw strikes. He'll need to flesh out the rest of his repertoire, which he'll work on this year in low Class A.
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Rated Best Defensive Catcher in the San Francisco Giants in 2007
Rated Best Defensive Catcher in the San Francisco Giants in 2006
Rated Best Defensive Catcher in the San Francisco Giants in 2005
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