When things go right, kids who are top draft picks by MLB’s 30 teams generally work their way through their respective teams’ Minor League farm system at a rate of (about) one level per season before eventually – and hopefully – making it to The Show.

Generally.

However, when you consider that there are only 26 players on each MLB team’s active roster (28 from September 1 through the end of the regular season) for a total of 780 and 840 respectively, and only a combined total of 1,200 on their respective 40-man rosters during a normal MLB season (strikes and COVID-19 notwithstanding), the odds of actually making it to baseball’s highest level are ridiculously overwhelmingly.

But for as ridiculously overwhelming as those odds may be, it happens – every season – for the very best of the very best.

Dodgers right-hander Landon Knack is among the very best of the very best.

Drafted by the Dodgers in the second round of the 2020 MLB draft out of East Tennessee State University in Johnson City, TN, the 26-year-old Johnson City native began his professional career in 2021 with the Dodgers’ Advanced Single-A Great Lakes Loons (a clue), where he went a perfect 5-0 with an outstanding 2.50 ERA in his 10 games (five starts), prompting his mid-season promotion to Double-A Tulsa Drillers, where he went 2-1 with a 4.37 ERA in his six games, all starts.

Knack returned to Tulsa to begin the 2022 season, posting a less-than-ideal 2-10 record and 5.01 ERA in his 17 games, all starts. As a result, he began the 2023 season back at Tulsa, posting a perfect 2-0 record with an exceptional 2.20 ERA over his 12 starts, leading to his mid-season promotion to the Triple-A Oklahoma City Dodgers.

At OKC, Knack went 3-1 with a very good 2.93 ERA in his 10 starts, giving every indication that he may – and probably will – begin the 2024 season on the Dodgers Opening Day 40-man roster and perhaps even in their Opening Day starting rotation.

See you at the Ravine soon, Landon.

Play Ball!

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