Minor Leaguer's backflips are a must-see

February 22nd, 2021

Pitchers come in all shapes and sizes, their skill sets in many forms. But few can do what Orioles righty Dusten Knight can do.

He does backflips.

That's right: One of the Orioles' newest arms brings the flair of a gymnast to the mound. And you thought bat flips were a thing.

Someone get Ozzie Smith (or Tony Kemp) on the phone.

Who is this backflipping sensation?

A former 28th-round pick of the Giants in 2013, Knight, 30, is a career Minor Leaguer who bounced between the Giants, Twins, Mexican League and independent Atlantic League. He signed a Minor League deal with the O's this offseason after not pitching competitively in 2020, profiling as organizational depth and earning an invitation as a "camp reserve" to MLB Spring Training. While he started in independent ball, Knight was primarily a reliever in the Minors and the Mexican League, posting a 3.06 ERA with 408 strikeouts over 358 2/3 frames in 198 games.

Knight earned five saves for the Double-A Pensacola Blue Wahoos in 2019, and as the tweet shows, he even celebrated a save with a backflip.