Minor League Prospect Notes: Tyler Knigge, Adam Conley

Minor League Prospect Notes: Tyler Knigge, Adam Conley

**Philadelphia Phillies relief prospect Tyler Knigge is having an excellent campaign for the High-A Clearwater Threshers in the Florida State League. He has a miniscule 0.66 ERA with a 40/11 K/BB in 41 innings, allowing 24 hits. He's not doing this with smoke-and-mirrors, using a 90-95 MPH fastball and a nasty slider to dominate hitters, especially right-handers who he's holding to a .150 average.

Knigge is a 6-4, 215 pound 23-year-old right-hander, drafted in the 12^th round in 2010 from Lewis-Clark State College in Idaho. The Lewiston native has little left to prove in High-A and should be promoted to Double-A sometime soon. He could make a nice middle reliever if he maintains his command at higher levels, and it isn't impossible that he could close.

**Miami Marlins pitching prospect Adam Conley allowed three runs on five hits in five innings of work yesterday for the High-A Jupiter Hammerheads, fanning five. On the season, he is 8-3, 2.88 with a 93/27 K/BB in 84 innings, 65 hits allowed, with a 1.85 GO/AO between Jupiter and Low-A Greensboro.

Conley was drafted in the second round last year out of Washington State, and I don't think he gets as much attention as he deserves. His performance has been quite good, and he's got fine stuff, including a sinker that can hit the mid-90s, a sound changeup, and a slider that is getting better but still needs work. He relieved a lot in college, but the Marlins drafted him with the idea that he projected as a starter as long as the slider improved.

In this very interesting MinorLeagueBaseball.com interview, Conley discusses his fastball/changeup/slider arsenal, along with some pitching philosophy and a hat tip to Jamie Moyer.