One of the most challenging things for a pitcher in the big leagues is to throw off the batter with off-speed pitches. If not located properly, or if there isn't enough movement, a batter can blast a pitch into the stands. A huge part of an off-speed pitch is control, and for that reason, one pitch has begun to go extinct in the MLB.
However, a minor league pitcher for the Detroit Tigers is trying to revive a pitch that's faded from the game and bring it to the Major Leagues. The pitch he's trying to revive? The knuckleball.
In an excellent article from Cody Stavenhagen of The Athletic, he detailed a Tigers' minor league pitcher's quest to revive the knuckleball. Kenny Serwa, a 27-year-old journeyman minor leaguer, is trying to bring the knuckleball back to professional baseball.
"When videos of Serwa heaving a knuckler at 88.5 mph hit the internet this winter," Stavenhagen writes. "The baseball world noticed. At least since the dawn of pitch trading in 2008, no one has thrown the pitch harder than Morejon's 88.3 mph in a major-league game."
For Serwa, the knuckleball isn't just a gimmick; it's become a get-out pitch. Over the past few decades, knuckleballers have faded from the sport. R.A. Dickey, Tim Wakefield, Phil Niekro, etc, are no longer pitching. There have been some attempts at knuckleballs in the pros, but none serve a role as a mainstay of a pitcher's arsenal.
In steps Serwa, who in Double-A with the Erie SeaWolves, has been remarkable. Across his 13 games in the minor leagues between the SeaWolves and the West Michigan Whitecaps in 2025, he has a 2.72 ERA and a 6-1 record. He's struck out 46 batters in 53 innings and has a strong 0.91 WHIP.
What makes Serwa's story so remarkable is that it's his first season pitching in the minor leagues. He's pitched in other leagues, but never in the minors, until now. What Serwa has shown goes beyond intrigue; he's becoming a must-see pitcher every time he steps on the mound.
Serwa's journey follows the same path that the pitch that landed him in the minor league took. An unpredictable adventure that, if not handled properly, can spiral out of control. But, with how Serwa has persevered, he's not only made his mark in the minor leagues, he's making a case to bring the knuckleball back to the big leagues.