Pat/Med Loses in County Finals, Knoth Prepares for MLB Draft

Entering the 2023 baseball season, many people thought there would be no way Patchogue Medford High School wouldn’t make it to the Long Island Championship.

However, things went south in the playoffs as the Raiders lost to a perennial powerhouse in Commack High School as they were swept in the Suffolk County AA Series during Memorial Day Weekend. Commack’s VCU commit Evan Kay, who was named Long Island AA MVP of the postseason last weekend, was brilliant on the mound and the Commack bats were all over Pat-Med’s pitchers all series long.

Unfortunately for Pat-Med, their season full of hype and promise came to a screeching halt and it unfortunately means it will be the end of the road for some seniors as some will never see the field ever again.

Meanwhile, there was a story that somewhat overshadowed the entire series and it was something that occurred off the field during the weeks leading up to the 2023 Long Island High School Baseball postseason. The rumors were spreading like wildfire and were later proven to be true. New York’s best high school pitcher Josh Knoth would not be suiting up for the postseason.

Pitcher Josh Knoth, Patchogue - Medford Axcess Baseball

During game one of the AA Suffolk County Finals at Commack High School, Knoth was not on the field or even dressed to play. He was found on the bench wearing shorts and his team's jersey, still supporting the team but not eligible to play during the game.

Knoth, 17, is a projected first round pick in this year's MLB Draft and should go no later than the third round according to MLB Scouts and recent reports. He is ranked inside the MLB Pipelines top 150 Draft Prospects and has arguably the best breaking ball in the entire class.

Knoth is one of the most decorated baseball players in Long Island High School history, the only thing that was missing from his resume was the Long Island and New York State Championships. Why would he sit out the postseason?

According to multiple anonymous sources, Knoth was advised by his agent to sit out the entire postseason in order to save him from getting hurt while continuing a throwing regimen in order to be ready to report to the Minor Leagues.

If Knoth was to get hurt during a postseason push, it would tank his draft stock and potentially cost him millions of dollars in the process. Pitchers are often overworked in high school anyway and Knoth would’ve been pitching almost every game if he continued to play for Pat Med this postseason.

Knoth’s decision isn’t something that should be seen as controversial by the outsiders looking in. It is very common in the Northeast and it happens at least once a year when a top guy declares for the draft and sits out in order to stay fresh and ready to report to the minor leagues upon being drafted.

Unlike schools down south and elsewhere throughout the country, schools in New York and other states in the tri-state area tend to be in session from the first week in September and end around mid June. School sports will go on until early June and the draft is typically the same weekend as the New York State Championships. Top high school pitchers will sit out the last month so they don’t get hurt in order to save their draft stock and lower the risk of injury.

Many people understand the decision from Knoth as he hopefully has a long and successful baseball career ahead of himself. Why not sit out if it means you could make millions of dollars in the near future?

If Knoth was pitching in Florida where they are already a week into being out of school and almost a month removed from state playoffs, this kind of news story would not exist and he would’ve had the opportunity to close out his career as a champion.