Brewers Prospect Josh Knoth Undergoes Tommy John Surgery
The Brewers revealed tough news for fans in Milwaukee today, as Curt Hogg of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel revealed today that right-handed pitching prospect Josh Knoth has undergone Tommy John surgery and will miss the entire 2025 season.
Knoth, 19, was selected in the first round (#33 overall) by the Brewers in the 2023 draft out of high school and made his pro debut with the club’s Single-A affiliate last year. Despite a somewhat pedestrian 4.48 ERA, Knoth struck out an impressive 26.7% of opponents in his age-18 season but was held back by an 11.1% walk rate. Knoth’s solid strikeout rate and youth were enough to make him the #16 ranked prospect in the Brewers system according to Baseball America. The right-hander has a solid fastball that tops out at 96 mph and two plus secondaries in the form of a curveball and a slider, though BA writes that his changeup is somewhat lackluster and his control comes and goes.
The righty missed time late last year due to elbow soreness, making only 21 starts and pitching just 84 1/3 innings, so the surgery isn’t necessarily a surprise. Even so, it’s a disappointing development for the Brewers given Knoth’s mid-rotation potential. It would’ve been something of a shock to see the youngster make his big league debut with the club this year, but even reaching the Double-A level by the end of the 2025 season would’ve put him on the map for a possible debut with the Brewers in 2026.
That sort of timeline for Knoth reaching the majors appears to be all but impossible now, as rehab will essentially push Knoth’s develop timeline back an entire year. Fortunately, however, Knoth is young even by the standard of a recently-drafted high school prospect given that he was just 17 years old on draft day and won’t turn 20 until August. If Knoth manages to return from Tommy John surgery unimpeded in 2026 and move aggressively up the minor league ladder, he should still have the chance to make it to the majors in his early twenties.
Even with Knoth sidelined for 2025, the Brewers’ pitching development looks strong. Robert Gasser flashed exciting stuff in his debut for the club last year, and while he’s currently on the 60-day IL rehabbing from Tommy John surgery the southpaw figures to return and impact the big league club at some point later this year. Perhaps more excitingly, right-hander Jacob Misiorowski is a consensus top-100 prospect who reached Triple-A last year and appears likely to make his big league debut with the Brewers at some point in 2025.
Notable Draft Signings: 7/17/23
The Rangers, Rockies, Tigers, A’s and Orioles all agreed to $4MM+ bonuses with their first round draftees this afternoon. We’ll round up the other $2MM+ signings from Monday (scouting reports from Baseball America, MLB Pipeline, ESPN and The Athletic):
- The Giants are signing 16th overall pick Bryce Eldridge to a $3.9975MM bonus, reports Jim Callis of MLB Pipeline (Twitter links). That’s a bit below the selection’s $4.33MM slot value. Eldridge, a two-way player from a Virginia high school, ranked between 16th and 23rd on the referenced pre-draft lists. Listed at 6’7″, he’s generally regarded as a more talented power-hitting first base/corner outfield prospect than as a pitcher, though evaluators suggest he could’ve been a top-two round selection were he solely on the mound. He’s expected to try playing both ways to begin his professional career. The lefty hitter/righty thrower had been committed to Alabama. San Francisco also signed 52nd pick Walker Martin for an overslot $2.9975MM bonus. An Arkansas commit, Martin is a power-hitting infielder from a Colorado high school.
- The Yankees announced they’ve signed first rounder George Lombard Jr. According to Callis, the Florida high schooler receives a $3.3MM bonus that beats the $3.07MM slot value of the 26th selection (Twitter link). A right-handed hitting infielder and son of the former major leaguer who currently serves as Tigers’ bench coach, Lombard Jr. had been committed to Vanderbilt. Listed at 6’3″, he’s viewed as a well-rounded and instinctual player who could hit for average and power. Evaluators generally had him as a back of the first-round prospect with some question about whether he’ll outgrow shortstop.
- The Mariners are in agreement with 29th pick Johnny Farmelo on a $3.2MM bonus, reports Daniel Kramer of MLB.com (Twitter link). That’s the selection Seattle received under the Prospect Promotion Incentive after Julio Rodríguez won the 2022 Rookie of the Year. Farmelo, a left-handed hitting outfielder out of a Virginia high school, tops the $2.8MM slot value of the selection. Generally regarded as a comp round or early second round talent, he’s a plus runner who could play center field and has some power projection in a 6’2″ frame. Farmelo was a Virginia commit.
- The Brewers are signing 18th pick Brock Wilken for $3.15MM, Callis reports (on Twitter). That’s quite a bit below the $4.02MM slot value for the college infielder. Wilken, a Wake Forest product, is one of the better offensive prospects in the college class. Evaluators suggest he’s a power over contact player but could be a middle-of-the-order presence. They’re divided on whether the 6’4″ infielder will be athletic enough to stick at the hot corner or should move to first base down the line. The right-handed hitter put up a monster .345/.506/.807 showing during his draft year in Winston-Salem. Milwaukee also signed 33rd pick Josh Knoth for $2MM, per Callis (on Twitter). A high school righty from New York, Knoth is credited with mid-90s velocity and two impressive breaking pitches.
- The Blue Jays agreed to a $3MM bonus with first round pick Arjun Nimmala, according to Callis (Twitter link). That’s below the $3.75MM slot value of the 20th selection. Nimmala, a high school infielder out of Florida, placed in the top 17 on each of the aforementioned rankings. The 6’1″ infielder is credited with plus power projection and a good chance to stick at shortstop. An aggressive approach and elevated swing-and-miss are the primary questions in his profile, though he’s one of the youngest players in the class and regarded as a strong upside play. Nimmala had been committed to Florida State.
- The A’s went well above slot for third-rounder Steven Echavarria, Callis reports (Twitter links). He lands $3MM, almost $2MM north of the slot value for the 73rd pick. A high school right-hander from New Jersey, he’d been committed to Florida. He has a mid-90s fastball and potential plus curveball. Oakland also signed 39th selection Myles Naylor for the $2.025MM slot value. The Canadian infielder (younger brother of the Guardians’ Naylor brothers) is a bat-first third baseman who’d been slated to attend Texas Tech.
- The Nationals handed out a pair of $2.6MM bonuses, per reports from Callis and Kiley McDaniel of ESPN (Twitter links). Miami infielder Yohandy Morales went 40th overall after hitting .408/.475/.713 during his final season in the ACC. He’s a power-hitting third baseman. High school righty Travis Sykora gets a well above slot bonus as a third round draftee. A Texas commit, Sykora is a 6’6″ hurler who can get into the triple digits and was regarded as a possible top 40 talent in the class.
- Infielder Sammy Stafura signed for $2.4975MM with the Reds, reports Charlie Goldsmith of the Cincinnati Enquirer (on Twitter). That’s above slot for the New York high school infielder, a Clemson commit. Stafura was viewed as a potential first-round talent based on his athleticism and bat speed.