As the Philadelphia Phillies’ roster prepares for spring training in Clearwater, a former player from the past resurfaced this weekend, reminding fans of a time before the team’s current competitive resurgence. On Sunday, former Phillies catcher Andrew Knapp shared his decision to retire from professional baseball in an emotional post on Instagram.
Drafted by the Phillies as a second-round pick in 2013, Knapp was once ranked as high as No. 9 among the organization’s top prospects by MLB Pipeline in 2016. At 33 years old, Knapp made his MLB debut with the Phillies in 2017 at age 25.
In his heartfelt retirement message, Knapp reflected on his career: “Every ballplayer’s career has to come to an end at some point, and now is my time to hang ‘em up. God has blessed me with an amazing career, and I’m so grateful to have played for as long as I have,” he wrote.
Knapp, a native of Roseville, California, served as the Phillies’ backup catcher from 2017 to 2021, with his most notable season being the 2020 shortened campaign. In just 89 plate appearances across 33 games, he posted a career-high .278 batting average and an .849 OPS.
Over his 309 games with the Phillies, Knapp recorded a .214/.314/.322 batting line, with 13 home runs and 62 RBIs. After the 2021 season, he became a free agent and signed with the Cincinnati Reds. In the following two years, Knapp bounced between several organizations, including the Pittsburgh Pirates, Seattle Mariners, San Francisco Giants, Detroit Tigers, Houston Astros, and Texas Rangers.
Growing up around the game through his father, Mike who spent 11 years in the minors Knapp credits his career to those early experiences. “Ever since I can remember, I wanted to be a professional baseball player. Some of my earliest memories are at the ballpark and in the clubhouses with my dad and his teammates. Baseball has blessed me with lifelong relationships and taught me so much about perseverance, humility, and the importance of being a good person.”
In the offseason before his final season, Knapp signed with the defending World Series champion Rangers on a minor league deal. He was released in August after spending 81 games in Triple-A and later signed with the Giants. Knapp had a brief stint with San Francisco, playing three games, getting a hit, and driving in two RBIs in four at-bats.
Despite his many years in the minors, Knapp appeared in just 19 MLB games, finishing his career with a .209/.309/.312 slash line, 13 home runs, and 66 RBIs in 328 games over seven seasons.
During his time in Philadelphia, Knapp played alongside current Phillies stars such as Aaron Nola, Zack Wheeler, Bryce Harper, and J.T. Realmuto. He also contributed to one of the team’s 12 walk-off victories in his final season with the club.
Knapp fondly reflected on his time with teammates, expressing, “I’ve been extremely lucky to have played with so many incredible teammates. I will miss being around them the most. I took great pride in being a good teammate and helping bring out the best in everyone around me.”
You can read Knapp’s full message on his Instagram post. We wish him all the best in his retirement.
