Timber Rattlers left-handed pitcher Brandon Knarr turning heads in Brewers organization
GRAND CHUTE – It’s early yet, but the Milwaukee Brewers may have found a gem in undrafted free agent Brandon Knarr.
The crafty left-handed starter is in his second season in the minor leagues and has been one of the best pitchers on the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers roster.
Knarr has started seven games and is 5-1 with a 1.34 ERA and 0.89 WHIP. He has walked just nine batters, allowed 27 hits, while striking out 48 in 40⅓ innings pitched.
Despite coming out of Division II Tampa, after a stint at Notre Dame, Knarr has been turning heads throughout the Brewers organization.
“He dealt for me last year in Carolina,” Timber Rattlers manager Joe Ayrault said. “He goes about his business and really works at his craft. He is one of our guys that really understands what we do, the analytic side of things, tracking movement on his pitches, different things in our system. He’s very knowledgeable. I think after his 10-year big league career, I think he’ll be a heck of a pitching coach because he knows his stuff.”
Ayrault may not have been kidding about his expectations for Knarr.
“He just goes out there and does his job,” Ayrault said. “He mixes his pitches well. He’s a bulldog on the mound, he attacks the zone and he’s had a lot of success.”
The Rattlers mentor said he has been most impressed Knarr isn’t afraid to throw any pitch in his arsenal at any time.
“(He uses) them all in any count,” Ayrault said. “He’s got a good curveball, fastball and change. Nasty.”
For his part, Knarr said the organization has made him feel right at home.
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“It’s been really fun, the team is really good,” Knarr said. “It’s been a lot more comfortable this year. I feel good there out on the mound and feel comfortable with the guys behind me.”
Things weren’t always cut and dried for the 23-year-old from York, Pennsylvania. He wasn’t drafted, and then had to deal with the coronavirus pandemic.
“With the way COVID happened and the shortened season, I understood it was going to be a little bit different route to get where I needed to be,” he said. “But it’s been exciting. Everybody in the organization from top to bottom has been first class.”
Although a number of teams reached out to him, he boiled down his choice to two teams.
“I was basically deciding between the Brewers and the Yankees, with a few other teams that had contact,” Knarr said. “But mainly I was very excited about the Brewers.”
That excitement has continued and he said he appreciates the fact there is a game plan to follow in his effort to achieve his ultimate goal of reaching the big leagues.
“For me, the expectations were just to go out there and pitch,” Knarr said. “I wanted to go out there and execute my game plan each day and stay consistent on my routine. I didn’t have a lot of on-field expectations. I had a lot of process expectations and so far it’s been pretty fun to see how that’s all developed on the field.
“I think there is still a lot of room for improvement and we’re working on some things each day to kind of get to where they need to be. My coaches and I, and the organization as a whole, kind of have an idea of where I need to be and what I want to shoot for and then we keep kind of adjusting each game to kind of fit that game plan.”
Knarr’s first season in the minor leagues was split between Low-A Carolina and High-A Wisconsin. He finished the year with a combined record of 8-3 with a 4.35 ERA.
This season, he said the difference in his pitches has led to his improvement.
“So far this year, the curveball has been really good,” Knarr said. “It’s been one of the things from last year, we started to throw it a little bit more and just trusting everything as a whole. Just trusting changeup, trusting slider and trusting the fastball in the zone.
“So for me, it’s been a mix of kind of any given pitch on any given day. But the fastball, curveball combination has been good this year so far.”
As long as Knarr continues to work hard, he has a big fan in Ayrault.
“He’s a great teammate,” Ayrault said. “He’s awesome. Real, real good guy from both aspects. He’s well-liked by both teammates and coaches.
“If he keeps doing what he’s doing, of course (he will climb the organizational ladder). Usually when they dominate a league, they’re going to be moving. Hopefully he continues to do that throughout his career.”
Knarr said he will continue to focus on the things he can control.
“I’m just kind of focused on sticking to my routine and that next outing with that next pitch and try not to get too far ahead of myself in one direction or the other,” Knarr said. “Mainly it’s just keep getting T-Rat wins. That’s the main goal.”
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This article originally appeared on Appleton Post-Crescent: Timber Rattlers pitcher Brandon Knarr off to fast start to his season
