Malakhi Knight

Draft Prospects

• Ranked #72 prospect in 2021 draft
  The top-ranked prep hitter in the Pacific Northwest in the 2021 class, Knight was on the same 3D Sweets travel ball team with 2021 prospects Thatcher Hurd and Max Debiec that spent a month this spring playing games in Arizona against local high schools. Knight is an impressive athlete who also excels on the basketball court, and there are few players in the class with better raw tools. The 6-foot-3, 187-pound outfielder had an excellent summer showcase circuit and shot up draft boards, but his stock has dropped slightly this spring due to concerns with his swing that have led some scouts to believe he will need to rework his overall approach at the plate. He sets up with his front shoulder tucked in and his hands pushed into his chest, freeing him to keep his hands inside the ball. When Knight is on plane, he has the ability to hit the ball to all fields, but he’s shown some swing-and-miss issues with both fastball velocity and offspeed pitches. Knight does well in a workout setting, with above-average raw power that could grow into more as he gets stronger, and he showed off his plus speed with a 6.4-second 60-yard dash time at the Perfect Game National showcase. Defensively, Knight makes reads and breaks that are advanced for a high school center fielder, with an above-average arm and the running ability to stick at the position. Due to concerns with his hit tool, Knight could drop in the draft and decide to honor his commitment to UCLA, but a strong showing at the pre-draft combine could lead teams to forget about the toolsy outfielder’s swing.