James Arthur McKnight (June 1, 1936 – February 24, 1994) was an American professional baseball player whose career lasted for 18 seasons (1955–1972).

He appeared in 63 games in Major League Baseball as a third baseman, outfielder and pinch hitter in 1960 and 1962 for the Chicago Cubs.

McKnight threw and batted right-handed, stood 6 feet 1 inch (1.85 m) tall and weighed 185 pounds (84 kg).

After spending much of the rest of the season with the Cubs' Houston Buffs Triple-A affiliate, he made his Major League Baseball debut in September, going 2-for-6 in three games.

His son Jeff McKnight was also a Major League Baseball player, an infielder who played in 218 MLB games for the New York Mets and Baltimore Orioles over six seasons (1989–1994), dying at age 52 on March 1, 2015, after suffering from leukemia for a number of years.