Part 5/10:

But now, there’s renewed hope—meet Matt Waldren, a pitcher who is bringing the knuckleball back to the forefront of the game. After an unremarkable start as an 18th-round draft pick, Waldren shifted his focus to the knuckleball in the minors and has since emerged as one of the most talked-about pitchers in baseball.

Unlike traditional knuckleballers who solely relied on the pitch, Waldren blends it with other pitches, effectively throwing it only 38% of the time. By doing so, he keeps hitters guessing, leveraging the element of surprise rather than allowing batters to sit on the slower pitch. Waldren’s speed, clocking in at around 84 mph for his knuckleball, pushes the limits historically set by knuckleballers, earning him a place among his peers.