Will Craig Promoted to Pittsburgh Pirates
8/27/2020 1:23:00 PM | Baseball
Deacon alum Will Craig was a two-time All-American at Wake Forest and earned his first big-league call-up Thursday.
ST. LOUIS, Mo. -- Wake Forest alum Will Craig has been added to the Pittsburgh Pirates' active roster and will be in uniform for today's doubleheader against the Cardinals in St. Louis.
Craig had a storied career in Old Gold & Black, twice being named a first team All-American, also being named National Player of the Year by D1Baseball in 2016 and ACC Player of the Year in 2015.
As a Demon Deacon, Craig was a career .347 hitter with 42 doubles, 37 homers and 160 RBIs in 164 games. He batted .382 with 13 homers as a sophomore and .379 with 16 longballs as a junior. He also served as a pitcher, holding a 6-4 career record, including a 2-0 mark with nine saves and a 3.54 ERA in 2016.
"We couldn't be more excited for Will on his first big-league call-up," Wake Forest head coach Tom Walter said. "We knew when he was here that we had a future major leaguer on our hands. He was instrumental in leading us back to the NCAA Tournament in 2016 and setting a foundation for success within our program. We're confident he's the first of several Deacon alumni to receive the call in the upcoming years, and can't wait to watch him continue to progress in his career."
The Pirates drafted him in the first round of the 2016 MLB Draft with the No. 22 overall selection.
In four minor league seasons, Craig has batted .259 with 51 home runs, 91 doubles and 264 RBIs. He hit 20+ homers in both 2018 and 2019, including 23 in his first season in AAA last year.
He was added to the Pirates' 40-man roster after the 2019 season. If he enters a game, he will be the first Deacon to make his MLB debut since three did so in 2015 (Mac Williamson, Tim Cooney and Allan Dykstra).
Craig will become the 43rd Deacon alum to appear in a Major League Baseball game.
Before his call-up, Craig was one of five Deacons currently at an MLB "Alternate Training Site" during the COVID-19 outbreak as part of teams' 60-man player pools. The others include Parker Dunshee (Oakland), Stuart Fairchild (Cincinnati), Gavin Sheets (Chicago White Sox), and Jared Shuster (Atlanta).
Craig had a storied career in Old Gold & Black, twice being named a first team All-American, also being named National Player of the Year by D1Baseball in 2016 and ACC Player of the Year in 2015.
As a Demon Deacon, Craig was a career .347 hitter with 42 doubles, 37 homers and 160 RBIs in 164 games. He batted .382 with 13 homers as a sophomore and .379 with 16 longballs as a junior. He also served as a pitcher, holding a 6-4 career record, including a 2-0 mark with nine saves and a 3.54 ERA in 2016.
"We couldn't be more excited for Will on his first big-league call-up," Wake Forest head coach Tom Walter said. "We knew when he was here that we had a future major leaguer on our hands. He was instrumental in leading us back to the NCAA Tournament in 2016 and setting a foundation for success within our program. We're confident he's the first of several Deacon alumni to receive the call in the upcoming years, and can't wait to watch him continue to progress in his career."
The Pirates drafted him in the first round of the 2016 MLB Draft with the No. 22 overall selection.
In four minor league seasons, Craig has batted .259 with 51 home runs, 91 doubles and 264 RBIs. He hit 20+ homers in both 2018 and 2019, including 23 in his first season in AAA last year.
He was added to the Pirates' 40-man roster after the 2019 season. If he enters a game, he will be the first Deacon to make his MLB debut since three did so in 2015 (Mac Williamson, Tim Cooney and Allan Dykstra).
Craig will become the 43rd Deacon alum to appear in a Major League Baseball game.
Before his call-up, Craig was one of five Deacons currently at an MLB "Alternate Training Site" during the COVID-19 outbreak as part of teams' 60-man player pools. The others include Parker Dunshee (Oakland), Stuart Fairchild (Cincinnati), Gavin Sheets (Chicago White Sox), and Jared Shuster (Atlanta).
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