Clemson Pitcher Aidan Knaak Selected in 2026 MLB Draft

Clemson baseball has continued to receive plenty of talent throughout the last handful of years. This season saw another top selection in the 2026 MLB Draft.

Right-handed pitcher Aidan Knaak was the first Tiger selected from the program during the event, going to the Milwaukee Brewers with a fifth-round pick. He was selected with the No. 163 pick in the draft.

Congrats, @aidan_knaak ❗️ 👏 ⚾️

The junior RHP was drafted in the fifth round (No. 163 overall) by the @Brewers❗️#ClemsonFamily 🐾 🐅#MLBDraft @MLB pic.twitter.com/YyHF99OkNO
— Clemson Baseball (@ClemsonBaseball) July 12, 2026

The Fort Myers, Fla., native has consistently been the Tigers’ best prospect over the course of the 2026 season. Despite a down year, he heads to a ball club that has produced some of the best pitchers over the last decade.

Knaak burst onto the scene as a freshman, being named a third-team All-American back in 2024. His 108 strikeouts were the most by a first-year Tiger in program history, being a First Team All-ACC selection at the end of the year.

A year later, he picked up another first-team selection, being the only player in Clemson baseball history to earn two First Team All-ACC nods in his first two seasons. Once again, he added over 100 strikeouts in 2025 while ending up as the team’s ace in the latter half of the season.

2026 was different, though, for the junior.

He entered the season recovering from an injury, playing small amounts of innings while having career-lows in strikeouts. Knaak had 88 strikeouts across 13 games played, holding an ERA of 5.81 in 57.1 innings pitched.

However, he has already cemented his legacy as one of the best strikeout pitchers Clemson has ever had. Knaak finished second in program history in strikeouts-per-nine-innings with 11.92, an impressive number that could potentially increase if he decides to go to the MLB. When he started, the Tigers also generally won games, finishing with a 32-12 record when he was on the mound donning the Paw.

But now, he will have a decision to make. The fifth-round pick is valued at over $425 thousand, meaning if he goes for the money, he will head to Milwaukee to follow his dream of being a professional baseball player.

Especially if Knaak wants to invest in the franchise’s trainers and coaches, which would be promising with the Brewers, it could allow him to forego his senior season at Doug Kingsmore Stadium to take another year of development.

Clemson Tigers on SI will remain updated with all the other Tigers who are selected throughout the event.

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