Will Craig

Organization Prospect Rankings

• 
  Ranked Pittsburgh Pirates #24 prospect in 2020
  TRACK RECORD: The Pirates drafted Craig with the 22nd overall pick in 2016 after he finished third in the nation in slugging percentage at Wake Forest, but things quickly went south in pro ball. He moved from third base to first base due to shoulder soreness and has yet to hit for average and power together. He hit a career-high 23 home runs at Triple-A Indianapolis in 2019, but also had a career-high 146 strikeouts.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: Craig alternately shows flashes of plus power or the ability to hit for average and get on base with a line-drive approach, but can't sync it up. When he hits for average, he shows little power. When he hits for power, his average and on-base percentage drop precipitously. He's emphasized power each of the last two years and shown average power and below-average hitting ability, which is not enough to project as an everyday regular at first base. Craig is a below-average runner and defender limited to first base, where he is solid-average.
  
  THE FUTURE: Craig won't get a shot in Pittsburgh unless Josh Bell gets injured, and even then it would be a short-term fix. He'll return to Triple-A in 2020.
• 
  Ranked Pittsburgh Pirates #16 prospect in 2019
  Track Record: Craig was an All-American at Wake Forest and considered one of the best power hitters in the nation when the Pirates took him in 2016. He hit 37 home runs and slugged .623 in three years there. It took a while, but that power finally showed up at the professional level for Craig in 2018.
  
  Scouting Report: After hitting a combined eight home runs at short-season West Virginia in 2016 and high Class A Bradenton in 2017, Craig took more of an all-or-nothing approach in 2018 with Double-A Altoona. His average (.248) and on-base percentage (.321) hit career lows, his walks dipped and his strikeouts hit a career high, but the power numbers also showed up as he started getting the ball into the air more often. He hit 20 homers and 30 doubles, drove in 102 runs and slugged .448. The Pirates hope to see a little more of a balance between the hit tool and the power tool in 2019, because they were just as enamored with his .347 average at Wake Forest as the home runs. He's yet to show he can have an average hit tool with average power at the same time. However, the power figures provided a needed boost of confidence. Defensively, the former third baseman has settled in at first, and the Pirates are pleased with his footwork and ability to pick up bounced throws.
  
  The Future: Josh Bell likely blocks Craig from getting a shot to be a starter in Pittsburgh any time soon, but he will have a good chance to begin 2019 at Triple-A Indianapolis. He needs to show he can hit for average and power if he has a hope of being a big league regular.
• 
  Ranked Pittsburgh Pirates #24 prospect in 2018
  Craig was taken in the 37th round by the Royals out of high school, but he improved his draft stock drastically at Wake Forest. He hit 37 career home runs with the Demon Deacons and also served as closer in his junior year. The Pirates took him with the No. 22 overall pick in 2016 and paid him just over $2.2 million, but they haven't seen the power show up yet in pro ball. Craig hit 26 doubles in 2017 at high Class A Bradenton, but he has hit just eight home runs in 676 pro at-bats so far. He moved from third base to first base after committing 16 errors in 46 games at third in the short-season New York-Penn League in 2016. Craig had some issues with his hitting approach early in 2017, which led to 31 strikeouts in May, and he seemed to correct those, by hitting .354 in June, but then hit .198 in August. He showed good footwork around first base, and still has his arm as an above-average tool, but not much in the way of athleticism. Craig likely will start 2018 at Double-A Altoona and will have a chance to get a jumpstart there.
• 
  Ranked Pittsburgh Pirates #9 prospect in 2017
  The Royals drafted Craig in the 37th round out of a Tennessee high school, but he went to Wake Forest and became one of the most prolific hitters in program history. He capped a historic college run by hitting .379/.520/.731 with 16 home runs as a junior and ranked third in the nation in slugging. He also served as the team's closer. The Pirates selected Craig with the 22nd overall pick in 2016 and signed him for $2,253,700. He is a thickly-built masher who many scouts compare with Billy Butler, who had a fine career, primarily as DH for the Royals. Like the young Butler, Craig is a below-average defender at third base and a slow runner. Craig does have a good blend of power and patience that give him a chance to be a successful hitter, though he has had trouble making the transition to wood bats. He struggled in the Cape Cod League in 2015 and hit just .280 with two home runs at short-season West Virginia in his pro debut. While throwing 94 mph fastballs out of the Wake Forest bullpen is testament to Craig's plus arm strength, a lack of range will likely result in him eventually landing at first base. Craig will likely jump to high Class A Bradenton to begin 2017.

Draft Prospects

• Ranked #45 prospect in 2016 draft
  Craig went to the same high school as current Tigers lefthander Daniel Norris--Science Hill High in Johnson City, Tenn. He was also a member of the same 2013 Tennessee prep class that included Nick Senzel and Jordan Sheffield, among others. Most schools who saw Craig in high school liked him more as a pitcher, but he's flipped the script at Wake Forest, where he's been one of the country's best statistical hitters. With his thick 6-foot-3, 235-pound body, Craig has hit double-digit home runs the past two springs and has great feel for the strike zone. But due to the hitter friendliness of Wake Forest's home park and a lackluster showing in the Cape Cod League last summer, some scouts question how much Craig's power will translate with a wood bat. Craig's future position is also in question. He has the arm strength to play third--he throws in the low- to mid-90s off the mound--but his body and range could force a move to first base.

Minor League Top Prospects

• 
  Ranked New York-Penn League #7 prospect in 2016
  Craig, a two-way star at Wake Forest, was one of the more divisive college prospects heading into the 2016 draft, where he was taken with the 22nd overall pick by the Pirates. Scouts questioned his defense at third base, and due to the hitter friendliness of Wake Forest's home ballpark and a lackluster showing in the Cape Cod League last summer, some wondered how much of his power would translate to a wood bat. After a loud .379/.520/.731, 16-homer spring, Craig struggled out of the gate at West Virginia, but he turned his summer around and finished second in the league in on-base percentage (412). Craig's best assets are his raw power and discipline. He has the arm to play third base, but his thick body and lack of mobility suggest an eventual move to first. "He was exactly what I heard he was,"" said one scout who saw Craig this summer. ""He can hit it a long way. He controls the zone well. It was a mess at third. But if you put him at first, I think he has a chance to hit.""

• July, 2020 Scouting Report
  TRACK RECORD: The Pirates drafted Craig with the 22nd overall pick in 2016 after he finished third in the nation in slugging percentage at Wake Forest, but things quickly went south in pro ball. He moved from third base to first base due to shoulder soreness and has yet to hit for average and power together. He hit a career-high 23 home runs at Triple-A Indianapolis in 2019, but also had a career-high 146 strikeouts.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: Craig alternately shows flashes of plus power or the ability to hit for average and get on base with a line-drive approach, but can’t sync it up. When he hits for average, he shows little power. When he hits for power, his average and on-base percentage drop precipitously. He’s emphasized power each of the last two years and shown average power and below-average hitting ability, which is not enough to project as an everyday regular at first base. Craig is a below-average runner and defender limited to first base, where he is solid-average.
  
  THE FUTURE: Craig won’t get a shot in Pittsburgh unless Josh Bell gets injured, and even then it would be a short-term fix. He’ll return to Triple-A in 2020. BA GRADE 45 Risk: High BA GRADE 45 Risk: High
• February, 2020 Scouting Report
  TRACK RECORD: The Pirates drafted Craig with the 22nd overall pick in 2016 after he finished third in the nation in slugging percentage at Wake Forest, but things quickly went south in pro ball. He moved from third base to first base due to shoulder soreness and has yet to hit for average and power together. He hit a career-high 23 home runs at Triple-A Indianapolis in 2019, but also had a career-high 146 strikeouts.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: Craig alternately shows flashes of plus power or the ability to hit for average and get on base with a line-drive approach, but can't sync it up. When he hits for average, he shows little power. When he hits for power, his average and on-base percentage drop precipitously. He's emphasized power each of the last two years and shown average power and below-average hitting ability, which is not enough to project as an everyday regular at first base. Craig is a below-average runner and defender limited to first base, where he is solid-average.
  
  THE FUTURE: Craig won't get a shot in Pittsburgh unless Josh Bell gets injured, and even then it would be a short-term fix. He'll return to Triple-A in 2020.
• December, 2016 Scouting Report
  Background: The Royals drafted Craig in the 37th round out of a Tennessee high school, but he went to Wake Forest and became one of the most prolific hitters in program history. He capped a historic college run by hitting .379/.520/.731 with 16 home runs as a junior and ranked third in the nation in slugging. He also served as the team's closer. The Pirates selected Craig with the 22nd overall pick in 2016 and signed him for $2,253,700. Scouting Report: Craig is a thickly-built masher who many scouts compare with Billy Butler, who had a fine career, primarily as DH for the Royals. Like Butler, Craig is a below-average defender at third base and a slow runner. Craig does have a good blend of power and patience that give him a chance to be a successful hitter, though he has had trouble making the transition to wood bats. He struggled in the Cape Cod League in 2015 and hit just .280 with two home runs at short-season West Virginia in his pro debut. While throwing 94 mph fastballs out of the Wake Forest bullpen is testament to Craig's plus arm strength, a lack of range will likely result in him eventually landing at first base.
  
  The Future: The Pirates don't have many power hitters in their system, and Craig will likely jump to high Class A Bradenton to begin 2017. Unless he makes significant improvements at third base, he fills no apparent role in the Pirates' long-term plans.