The Pittsburgh Pirates drafted drafted Wake Forest third baseman Will Craig with the 22nd overall pick in the 2016 MLB Amateur Draft. Craig is the highest draft pick for Wake Forest since the 2006 season.
With the Pittsburgh Penguins losing to the San Jose Sharks in game five of the Stanley Cup playoffs last night, many of the other sports stories in Pittsburgh might have gone unnoticed. The Pittsburgh Pirates fell to the Colorado Rockies in a one game series at Mile High Stadium by a score of 11-5. However, not all of the Pittsburgh sports news was negative.
The positive news is that the Pittsburgh Pirates selected third baseman Will Craig with the 22nd overall pick in the 2016 MLB Amateur Draft. Craig played for Wake Forest last season and compiled an impressive season both at the plate and on the mound.
At the plate, Craig would put together an impressive season hitting .379 with 16 home runs and 69 RBI compiling just 35 strikeouts and 47 walks in just over 53 games played. He also shows an impressive on base percentage at .520 and his slugging percentage is very high as well sitting at .731.
For his efforts at the plate, Craig was awarded as the ACC player of the year making him the best player in all of the ACC. He is also a finalist for the Dick Howser Trophy, awarded to the best collegiate player in the country, and the 2016 Golden Spikes Award, which is handed out to the best Amateur Baseball player in America.
Along with his talents at the plate, Craig has had a very good season on the mound as well. So much so that a mistake was made during yesterday's draft saying that Craig has been drafted as a right handed pitcher rather than a third baseman. Craig laughed off the situation saying "It was kind of funny when I first heard it and saw it on TV."
However, Craig's numbers on the mound are no joking matter. He finished last season with a 2-0 record and an ERA at 3.54 while striking out 25 men in 28 innings of work making 19 appearances for Wake Forest. While those numbers aren't unbelievable, they are very solid for a player who also plays in the field.
This versatility could serve Craig very well as he makes his way up through the Pirates organization. While his primary duties will be at the third base position, if the team is in need of someone to pitch on the mound, Craig can jump in and provide a reliable arm to use in relief.
With the pick of Craig, this will be the sixth straight year that the Pirates have drafted a position player in the first round of the draft. The five previous draft picks, Kevin Newman, Ke'Bryan Hayes, Cole Tucker, Austin Meadows, and Reese McGuire, have all signed with the team and Will Craig will look to do the same.
The Pirates already have a surplus of minor league talent in the pitching department with names like Tyler Glasnow and Jameson Taillon in Triple A and many younger talented pitchers like Clay Holmes and Tyler Eppler in the lower systems. Going after a position player in the first round was the way to go for the Pirates.
With Jung Ho Kang signed on for the next four seasons, it looks like Will Craig could be the replacement for Kang when his contract is up if the Pirates do not resign him. However, Craig could also help out on terms of corner infield and outfield depth as he will get worked around in the Pirates system.
Craig was originally drafted out of high school in the 2013 MLB Amateur Draft by the Tampa Bay Rays, but turned down the opportunity to go and play for Wake Forest. In doing so he became a more talented hitter and rose to be the highest draft pick for Wake Forest since 2006.
The last third baseman the Pirates took in the first round was Pedro Alvarez in the 2008 MLB draft. I feel that Craig will turn out better than Pedro Alvarez did and will be an everyday producer in the Pirates lineup in the future. His high average is a bright spot to see, and I am intrigued to see if he can transfer those skills to the professional baseball ranks.
One thing is for sure, however, the next task for the Pirates will be signing Craig and getting him into the Pirates minor league system as quickly as possible. This will allow the Pirates to get a good look at Craig and further assess what they have in Craig
More of The future of the Pittsburgh Pirates will be told this afternoon as The draft continues. The main thing the Pirates need to look for is outfield and middle infield depth. They are lacking in both departments and The draft could help replenish these needs. The MLB draft will continue today with rounds three to ten this afternoon starting at 1 p.m.
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