Cleveland Guardians take JCA grad Christian Knapczyk in 5th round of MLB draft

When he was growing up, Christian Knapczyk was a White Sox fan.

His allegiance changed Monday when the Plainfield native and Joliet Catholic Academy graduate was selected in the fifth round of the MLB draft by the Cleveland Guardians with the 161st overall pick. Knapczyk, who played shortstop at Louisville, has told the Guardians he will sign with them for slightly over his draft slot price of $371,000 and forego his senior season in college.

“This is a dream come true,” Knapczyk said Monday after being selected. “I actually thought I might go a little higher. I took a little tumble, but I told them I will sign for a little over slot. If I want to finish college later, that money is there for me to do that.

“I felt like I have to take this chance while I have it.”

Knapczyk, a left-handed hitter, was rated the second-best prep position prospect in Illinois in 2020. According to MLB.com, he has some of the best bat-to-ball skills in college baseball, although there were some questions about his 5-foot-9, 165-pound frame.

It’s nothing he hasn’t heard before.

“Questions about my size is nothing new to me,” Knapczyk said. “I just need a chance to show what I can do, and I am grateful for the Guardians for giving me that chance. I grew up as a Sox fan, but I don’t think it will be hard for my family to switch to rooting for the Guardians.”

Knapczyk is not sure yet where the Guardians plan to play him. MLB.com said he likely will be moved to second base.

“I’ll play wherever they tell me to,” he said. “I have the chance I have always been waiting for, and I want to take advantage of it.”

At Louisville, Knapczyk was known as an elite contact hitter. As a sophomore, he swung and missed at only 10% of the pitches he saw, including only 6% of the fastballs, and posted similar stats this spring, when he hit .331 with eight doubles, a triple, a home run and 24 RBIs to go with a team-leading 19 stolen bases and an on-base percentage of .455. He also had a .934 fielding percentage and was involved in 28 double plays for the Cardinals.

“The work starts now,” Knapczyk said. “This is going to be my job. Baseball has always been something fun, but now it’s time to take things a little more seriously.”

Also selected from the Herald-News coverage area was 2018 Lockport graduate CJ Weins, a right-handed pitcher who was taken in the sixth round by the Boston Red Sox out of Western Kentucky.