Slammers Free Agent Spotlight: Max Kuhns
New Cutter. Refined Changeup. More Velo. Looking for affiliated opportunities.
Max Kuhns is a 6-2, 210 lb. right-handed relief pitcher who is looking for affiliated opportunities. Following a stint in Minor League Baseball with the New York Mets from 2016 to 2019, Kuhns strung together two successful seasons with the Sioux City Explorers of the American Association (Independent) before signing with the Philadelphia Phillies ahead of the 2023 season. After striking out 39 in 29 innings for the Reading Fightin Phils (Double A), Kuhns was released.
Since his release, Kuhns has added a cutter to his arsenal and has regained more of the velocity that made him so dominant in 2021 and 2022 in Sioux City. Kuhns features a 2-seam fastball with plus movement to the arm-side that has been up to as high as 100 in recent years and has topped at 97.4 this offseason [Trackman / Rapsodo]; a hard slider (84-87 mph); a change-up with sink and run (86-87 mph); and the aforementioned cutter (87-88 mph) that serves as a bridge pitch between his fastball and slider.
Kuhns has worked hard this fall to win back a tick of a velocity in the weight room - which isn’t easy to do in an athlete’s late 20’s. Slammers’ own, Bailey Collins, has provided the programming that has him averaging +1.1 mph more per session on his fastball compared to the same block of throwing in December-January last offseason (93.4 mph to 94.5 mph).