WTM’s PLAYER PROFILE

2016
A-:  280/412/362, 218 AB, 12 2B, 2 HR, 41 BB, 37 K, 2-2 SB

Like Kevin Newman the year before, Craig got off to a very slow start at the plate.  By July 16, he was batting just .159 and slugging just .203.  After that, he batted .336.  The power never really surfaced, though, as Craig got a lot of hits just by serving balls to the opposite field.  He drew a huge number of walks, but advanced hitters at lower levels who get most of their value from walks generally don’t do well as they move up.  Craig also had issues in the field, committing 16 errors and not showing good range.  His .889 fielding percentage was more like something you’d see from a teenager in the Dominican Summer League, not from a first round draft pick out of a major college program.

2017
A+:  271/373/371, 458 AB, 26 2B, 1 3B, 6 HR, 62 BB, 106 K, 1-4 SB

Craig’s season can only be considered a disappointment, as he simply did not show anything approaching the power he was expected, and needs, to produce.  He showed good strike zone judgment, but didn’t even hit for a particularly high average.  He seemed to be putting things together in June, when he hit 354/448/524, but he slumped badly after that.  He hit 279/373/375 in July and a miserable 209/318/220 in August, with just one extra base hit, a double.  He hit only one HR in 65 games after June 15.  It’s tempting to attribute the lack of power to the Florida State League, but teammates Cole Tucker, Mitchell Tolman, Casey Hughston and Ty Moore not only had higher slugging averages but much higher isolated power numbers.  Even light-hitting utility infielder Logan Ratledge posted a higher ISO.  Logan Hill, Jordan George and Kevin Krause hit for significantly more power than Craig.  In fact, Craig’s slugging average was below the team’s average.  Craig hit very well against LHPs, with a 349/432/516 line, but struggled to a 243/352/317 line against RHPs.  The one positive was that he adapted well to first base, where he moved in deference to Ke’Bryan Hayes, but he’ll have to hit a lot better to succeed there.  When Altoona needed a first baseman after Edwin Espinal’s promotion, the Pirates promoted George rather than Craig, which speaks volumes.

2018
AA:  248/321/448, 480 AB, 30 2B, 3 3B, 20 HR, 42 BB, 128 K, 6-9 SB

Craig came into the season in better shape and also changed his approach at the plate, going for more loft and more power.  The result was that he more than doubled his career total and led the system in homers, while also driving in 102 runs.  He was also fifth in the Eastern League in both homers and doubles.  The downside was an increase in strikeouts and a drop in both hits and walks.  The end result was an OPS that was about what it was the previous two years.  He had no platoon split.  The better conditioning showed on the bases.  Craig also has developed into a good first baseman; he was voted the best defensively in the league.

2019
AAA:  249/326/435, 494 AB, 23 2B, 23 HR, 44 BB, 146 K, 2-5 SB

Craig got off to a great start at Indianapolis, hitting 15 home runs in his first 46 games.  He then hit just eight in his last 85.  He hit very little after May.  His monthly OPS, excluding September:

April:  .899
May:  .933
June:  .575
July:  .710
August:  .662

Overall, his hitting was almost exactly the same as the previous year despite the fact that hitting in the International League exploded due to a livelier ball.  His overall hitting was below the league average of 266/342/445.  He struggled against LHPs, with just a .686 OPS compared to .789 against RHPs.  His K rate increased and his walk rate did not.  The Pirates did not call him up in September, but did add him to the 40-man roster after the season.

2020
MLB:  000/000/000, 4 AB, 1 K

Craig spent most of the shortened season at the training site in Altoona, but he got several very brief callups and got into two games.

The fact that Craig got only four ABs in 2020, when the Pirates were suffering through one of the worst-hitting seasons ever, probably says something about how they view him.  Going back to 2019, he’s finally hitting for more power, but his overall hitting hasn’t really improved.  A below-league-average hitter at first base isn’t a good fit.  The Pirates evidently didn’t think so, as they designated Craig for assignment to make room for a waiver claim.  He cleared waivers and was outrighted to AAA.

UPDATE:  The Pirates called Craig up after both Colin Moran and Phillip Evans were injured.  Craig got into 18 games, but didn’t hit especially well and was involved in a widely viewed defensive misplay.  The Pirates designated him for assignment when their injured players started returning.