Will Craig returns for his second season as an assistant coach at Belmont University.
The highly decorated former first-round draft pick by the Pittsburgh Pirates will be a valuable asset in player development, and hitting instruction.
A native of Johnson City, Tennessee, Craig attended Science Hill High School. He was drafted in the 37th round of the 2013 MLB Draft by the Kansas City Royals but chose to attend Wake Forest University in the fall.
From 2014-2016, Craig became one of the most decorated Deacons in program history. Over his collegiate career, Craig posted an average of .347 with 42 doubles, 37 homers, 160 RBIs and 108 walks through three seasons. He also excelled on the mound, holding a 6-4 career record. As a junior in 2016, Craig tallied a .379 average, 16 home runs and 66 RBIs and went 2-0 with a team-high nine saves and a 3.54 ERA, earning him unanimous All-American and D1Baseball’s National Player of the Year honors as well as being named a Dick Howser Trophy Finalist and a Golden Spikes Award Semifinalist. During his sophomore season, Craig was named the 2015 ACC Player of the Year, the sixth Deacon to earn Player of the Year honors, and became just the fourth Demon Deacon to be named an All-American by five different outlets.
Craig made his debut for the Pirates on August 27, 2020, in against the St. Louis Cardinals. He appeared in two games for Pittsburgh during the shortened 2020 season. In 2021, Craig played in 18 games for the Pirates, with a .217 batting average, 13 hits, a home run, and three RBIs.
Craig was selected by the Pittsburg Pirates with the 22nd overall pick in the 2016 MLB Draft. He began his professional career with the West Virginia Bears of the New York-Penn League (Class A Short). He made his debut on June 17 against Mahoning Valley and went 1-for-4 with two strikeouts. He finished the season with a .280 batting average, 61 hits, two home runs, 23 RBIs, and a .774 on-base plus slugging. He hit his first professional home run on July 17 vs. Williamsport, and started 46 games at third base.
In 2017, he entered the season as Pittsburgh’s ninth-best prospect, according to Baseball America. He spent the season with the Bradenton Marauder (Single-A) where he led all Florida State League first basemen in total chances (940), putouts (855), and assists (78). He was named to the Florida State League's mid-season All-Star team. A durable player, Craig ranked third among all Pirates farmhands in games played.
Craig’s 2018 campaign with the Altoona Curve (Double-A) propelled his professional career to new heights. He was voted the team’s MVP, and was named both a mid- and post-season All-Star for the Eastern League. He led the league in RBIs (102), which ranked fifth in all of minor league baseball. He became the second player in Altoona’s history to reach triple digits in RBIS, and the first Pirates minor league to reach 100 RBIs and highest total since 2007. In addition to being ranked the 16th-best-prospect by MLB.com, Craig was named the “Best Defensive First Baseman” in the Eastern League by Baseball America. He later was named All-Arizona Fall League.
Craig joined the Indianapolis Indians (Triple-A) in 2019. He won his first Rawlings Minor League Gold Glove at first base after posting a .999 fielding percentage in 886 total chances (recorded 828 putouts and 57 assists) while making only one error in 111 games at first base. Craig’s power showed with a career-high 23 home runs, and a team-high 78 RBIs; the highest single-season total for an Indians player since Brandon Moss in 2010. His home run total also ranked third-best among all Pirates minor leaguers. With 27 home runs before the All-Star break, Craig represented the Pirates the All-Star Futures Game at Progressive Field in Cleveland.
After his time with the Pirates, Craig finished his playing career overseas in Korea with the Kiwoom Heroes. He made his KBO debut on August 13, 2021, against the Doosan Giants. In 61 games, Craig posted a .248 batting average, 12 doubles, 6 home runs, and 30 RBIs.
He returned to the United States in 2022 to finish his degree at Wake Forest and was an assistant coach for a team that made it to the College World Series. The Deacons went 54-12 and 22-7 in ACC play. After the conference tournament, Wake Forest won the Winston-Salem Regional, swept Alabama in the Winston-Salem Super Regional, and made it to the College World Series Finals before losing to LSU.
Craig lives with his wife, Morgan, and their dog, Clio.
