Corey Knebel
Milwaukee Brewers closer Corey Knebel has been king of the strikeout so far this season. Knebel is representing the Brewers in tonight’s mid-summer all-star classic in Miami. The hard throwing right-hander enters with 14 saves and a 1.70 ERA.
Knebel’s 15.94 K/9 rate leads National League relievers and ranks third in baseball. His last strikeout came Sunday in New York when he set down home run derby champion Aaron Judge to close the game.
The Brewers closer has at least one strikeout in all 43 appearances, which is a single-season record for a reliever.
Knebel didn’t take long to get to the majors. He was selected in the 2013 draft and promoted to the Majors in 2014. He’s spent the last couple of seasons gaining experience at the Major League level. That work is paying off this year, with his first all-star appearance.
Knebel didn’t start the season as the closer, but after Neftali Feliz didn’t get the job done, Knebel took over and hasn’t looked back.
Chris Sale (Boston) faces Max Scherzer (Washington) in the pitching matchup tonight. Brewers fans are hoping Knebel can get into the game and perhaps nailing down a National League victory.