The Detroit Tigers have a 27-year-old pitcher in their system who’s trying to bring back one of baseball’s most unpredictable weapons: the knuckleball.
Kenny Serwa isn’t just throwing any knuckleball, though. He’s firing it at 88.5 mph – faster than anyone’s thrown the pitch in the majors since pitch tracking began in 2008.
It’s a fascinating development in a sport where off-speed pitches live and die by location and movement. Miss your spot or don’t get enough break, and you’re watching the ball sail into the bleachers. That’s why the knuckleball has mostly disappeared from professional baseball over the past couple decades.
But Serwa’s making it work in Double-A with the Erie SeaWolves. Through 13 games split between Erie and the West Michigan Whitecaps this season, he’s posted a 2.72 ERA with a 6-1 record. He’s struck out 46 batters in 53 innings while maintaining a solid 0.91 WHIP.
What makes this even more intriguing? It’s Serwa’s first season pitching in the minor leagues. He’s pitched elsewhere, but never in the minors until now.
As Cody Stavenhagen detailed in The Athletic, when videos of Serwa’s knuckleball hit the internet this winter, the baseball world took notice. For good reason – no one has thrown the pitch harder than 88.3 mph in a major-league game since pitch tracking started.
“When videos of Serwa heaving a knuckler at 88.5 mph hit the internet this winter, the baseball world noticed.”
The knuckleball used to have its masters. R.A. Dickey won a Cy Young with it. Tim Wakefield built a career around it. Phil Niekro made it to the Hall of Fame throwing it. But those guys are long gone, and attempts to revive the pitch have mostly failed to stick.
For Serwa, the knuckleball isn’t just a novelty act – it’s become his out pitch. That’s what separates him from other recent knuckleball experiments in pro ball.
What he’s showing goes beyond curiosity. Every time Serwa takes the mound, he’s must-see viewing. His journey mirrors the pitch that got him here: unpredictable, risky, but potentially game-changing if executed properly.
The way Serwa has handled the pressure so far, he’s not just making his mark in the minors. He’s building a case that the knuckleball might have a future in the big leagues after all.
