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CLEVELAND, OHIO – OCTOBER 05: Manager A.J. Hinch of the Detroit Tigers signals to the bullpen during the sixth inning against the Cleveland Guardians in Game One of the Division Series at Progressive Field on October 05, 2024 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images)
Detroit Tigers fans may not know the name Kenny Serwa yet, but that’s about to change. The Tigers could have their next gem climbing up the organizational ladder.
Serwa is reviving the knuckleball. But it’s not the pitch that the league is accustomed to seeing. Serwa’s version is faster, more unpredictable, and leaves hitters baffled without so much as a foul tip most of the time.
During his Double-A debut with the Erie SeaWolves on June 5, Serwa unleashed a pitch, with a delivery so erratic even his own catcher couldn’t corral it.
Serwa Is Blazing His Way To The Show
The 27-year-old tossed six innings, allowing four runs on four hits with two walks and four strikeouts. Over a stretch of five innings featuring mostly knuckleballs, he struck out four batters, leaving even the most patient hitters shaking their heads.
According to Jason Beck of MLB.com, since MLB’s pitch-tracking era began in 2008, no knuckleballer has thrown harder than 85 mph. Even R.A. Dickey, the 2012 NL Cy Young winner and the most accomplished knuckleballer in recent history, averaged roughly 77 mph on his signature pitch.
Serwa’s knuckleball has been clocked at an astonishing 88 mph, making it baseball’s fastest, and amazingly bizarre.
Statistically, Serwa’s 2025 campaign is impressive. Between High-A West Michigan and Double-A Erie, he sports a 4-1 record with a 3.21 ERA over 42 innings, striking out 38 and walking just 10 while allowing only one home run.
Tigers Could Be Creative Down The Road
Serwa’s dual-knuckleball arsenal further distinguishes him, and that’s just what the Tigers envisioned when they signed him in January.
One pitch is a high-velocity “wild” knuckleball nearing 90 mph that reinforces its reputation. The other is a slower, more traditional fluttering knuckleball he affectionately calls “Yoshi,” inspired by the unpredictable knuckleball mechanics of the Mario Super Sluggers character.
Detroit hasn’t had a full-time knuckleballer since Steve Sparks in the early 2000s, and the Tigers are embracing Serwa’s unique style.
“I have been thinking my entire life that the game needs another knuckleballer,” Serwa said. “I’ve always felt like I am the next knuckleballer and just waiting for the opportunity to show that I am. I’ll keep mixing up the speeds and getting the movement nasty and keep working on it, everything like that. And I hope to be up there someday soon.”
While Serwa’s path to the majors remains a work-in-progress, it’s becoming difficult to ignore what could be the most dominant pitch in baseball — albeit one that hasn’t even peaked.
When the young prospect eventually steps onto a Major League mound, he has the potential to be mentioned in the same light as a Dickey or a Tim Wakefield. The Tigers are waiting with open arms.
Derek Hryn Derek Hryn is a writer for Heavy.com. He has extensive experience covering the NFL, NBA, MLB, NCAA football and basketball, along with providing expert fantasy football analysis for DraftKings and SB Nation. His work has been featured at Sports Illustrated, USA Today, NBC Sports, The New York Post, and others. More about Derek Hryn
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