Jake Rogers' Knuckleball Strikes Out Brewers

0:00It's April 24th. Welcome to MLB News Today, powered by AI. I'm Cory with the story. Detroit Tigers catcher Jake Rogers made ways Wednesday night by striking out Milwaukee Brewers infielder Joey Ortiz with a wicked knuckleball in the bear. 9th inning. It kept the blowout win, and even Ortiz tipped his cap afterward, calling it nasty. Rogers, back catching for starter Casey Meis, turned heads with that pitch after fanning Ortiz the night before. Rogers has been perfecting the knuckleball since he was 10 years old, learning the grip from his dad during backyard catch sessions. He started with the four fingered hold as a kid, then switched to two fingers in college and pro ball. These days, he throws it every day in warm-ups, between innings or long toss in the outfield. Team mates like Ace Tark Scooball couldn't stop raving, saying it's a special pitch Rogers has toyed with since 2019. Rogers on the team, including Colt Keith and Zach McKinstree, mess around with knuckleball's two, but nobody matches Rogers' touch.

1:02The batter and Brewers crew even congratulated him post-game. Knuckleball's are rare in today's game, once a staple for pitchers like former Tiger Steve Sparks. Rogers hasn't pitched much since before high school, except a couple spot appearances, including one last year where he got a ground out with it. Now he's honed it enough for strikeouts. Rogers admits he'd love to pitch full-time with his knuckler, picturing an alternate career like Tim Wakefield or Aurei Dickey who converted from position players. For now though, he's locked in as a catcher, just having fun with that unpredictable pitch on the side.