PITTSBURGH (93.7 The Fan) – With injuries at first base to Colin Moran and now Phillip Evans, what are the Pirates options? AAA first baseman Will Craig is heating up. Could he be heading up?
There are a couple of issues—first-they would have to create room on the 40-man roster for Craig. The former first round pick was designated for assignment, unclaimed and returned to the Pirates this winter.
Second, while Craig was 3 for 3 with a home run on Wednesday and hit a pair of home runs on Tuesday, the right-handed hitter was 1 for his first 20 this season. So where is the results median?
During his last full minor-league season in 2019 at Indy, Craig hit 23 home runs with 78 RBI and a .249 average. He struck out 146 times, which was 14th at Triple A. The year prior at AA Altoona, Craig hit 20 home runs with 102 RBI and a .248 average with 128 strikeouts. The batting average in 2021 Grapefruit League play was consistent to his norm, .241 in 29 at bats. Craig’s only extra base hit was a solo home run.
Craig is still only 26 years-old and was an All-American star at Wake Forest. His final year with the Demon Deacons, Craig hit .379 with 16 HR and 66 RBI with a .520 on base percentage. He also recorded 9 saves, pitching 28 innings with 25 strikeouts and a 3.54 ERA.
The 6’3” first baseman can play third in a pinch along with outfield. It would seem Craig had run out of chances, but in a season where Ka’ai Tom, Ben Gamel, Anthony Alford and Dustin Fowler all got a shot, why not a guy you invested a first round pick in?