Will Craig knows something about RBIs.
The Pirates first base prospect had 102 of them last season at Double-A Altoona to lead the Eastern League. Reaching triple digits is hard to do in the minor leagues where the season is just 144 games long.
So, Craig see both sides of the RBI argument between the new-age thinkers and baseball traditionalists.
The sabermetricians believe RBIs are a function of how many opportunities hitters have with men on base, particularly when there are runners in scoring positions. The more old-school types believe some players are just better-suited mentally to hit in clutch situations.
“Guys in front of me in the order got on base a ton last year so that definitely helped me get to 100,” Craig told DKPittsburghSports.com last week during the Pirates minicamp in Bradenton, Fla., referring to such prospects as Cole Tucker, Ke’Bryan Hayes and Jason Martin.
It helps a lot when you get guys on base, especially guys who run and score from second on almost any single and scored from first on a double.”
Yet …
“I wouldn’t necessarily say there’s such a thing as a clutch gene, but I do get a little more excited when there are men on base,” the 24-year-old Craig said. “You really want to come through, whether it’s a three-run home run, a two-run home run or even a sacrifice fly with a runner on third base and one out. When you drive in runs, it helps the team win.”
Craig also finished the 2018 with 20 home runs for the Curve while batting .248/.321/.448 and was selected to both the midseason and postseason All-Star teams in the Eastern League. He followed by winning all-league honors in the Arizona Fall League with a .304/.378/.570 line and six home runs in 21 games.
Craig became just the second player in Altoona’s 20-year franchise history to reach triple digits in RBIs. Adam Hyzdu had 106 in 2000.
The 20 home runs – especially in a pitcher’s ballpark -- were a welcome sight for the Pirates after Craig went deep a combined eight times in 186 games during his first two professional seasons with short season West Virginia (Morgantown) and high Class A Bradenton.
“I consider myself a power hitter and I’m starting to feel more comfortable knowing what pitches I can drive now,” Craig said.
Craig’s desire to be a slugger is why he chose to play at Wake Forest after graduating from high school in Johnson City, Tenn. It was the only program that would allow him to both hit and pitch, as most college coaches were mainly enamored by Craig’s 95-mph fastball.
Following his heart paid off as the Pirates selected Craig in the first round of the 2016 draft with the 22nd pick. Now, he is getting closer to the major leagues.
He almost certainly will begin the upcoming season at Triple-A Indianapolis. That would leave one final step of reaching the major leagues.
Craig could also give the Pirates an alternative to Josh Bell at first base in 2020. The Pirates want to see Bell increase his power production as he hit just 12 home runs last season, less than half his rookie total of 26 in 2017.
“When you get to Double-A, getting to the major leagues seems a lot more real,” Craig said. “You’re playing against a lot of guys who have played in Triple-A, even some guys with major league time.
“It’s really kind of funny. When I was playing at West Virginia, we’d see signs for the Altoona exit when we were on road trips and I thought about how cool it would be to play there. Then when I got to Altoona and we’d be traveling, I’d see road signs for Pittsburgh. It’d been even cooler to play there.”
