Pat-Med alum Josh Knoth is making quite an impression in his first season with the Carolina Mudcats, the Milwaukee Brewers’s affiliate in the Single-A Carolina League.

Opposing batters are hitting just .157 against Knoth, who’s yielded just eight hits and five earned runs in his first five starts. His win-loss record is 0-2.

Mudcats manager Nick Stanley said he’s impressed by Knoth, who started the team’s season opener on April 5.

Knoth’s fastball reaches the mid-90s, and his two breaking pitches are Major League quality, Stanley said.

“The raw talent is outstanding,” Stanley said of Knoth, whom the Brewers drafted with the 33rd pick in the 2023 MLB draft.

Knoth is showing a lot of maturity for someone who doesn’t turn 19 until August.

He’s receptive to coaching, challenges hitters, and trusts his pitches can get them out, Stanley said. He’s already struck out 18 batters in 14.2 innings with a 3.07 ERA.

“He’s an extremely talented kid,” Stanley said. “He’s got a good mindset about his career. He wants to be great, and this is the first step toward that.”

Knoth is one of the top prospects in the Brewers’ farm system and the team has been watching his progress, Stanley said. MLB.com ranks him the 12th-highest prospect in the Brewers’ system.

The Brewers are bringing Knoth along slowly, limiting him to just over 50 pitches per game, so far.

“Anytime you have a first-year player who is new to professional baseball, you want to be intentional about what the workload is,” Stanley said.

The Mudcats are in first place in the Carolina League North Division with a record of 19-8 in games through May 8.