It seems crazy, but Will Craig could be the next big thing for the Mets. Just six days away from the 2016 MLB Draft, it has been almost set in stone that Will Craig could be our choice at #19. According to Craig himself in a Q&A with Chris Cotillo, Will has spoken with both New York teams, and both are heavily interested.
Awhile back, I profiled Craig and said that I was mixed on the pick because he had a rough showing in the Cape Cod League. I wasn’t high on him when I profiled him there, but my opinion has drastically changed. Will Craig has been a consistently good hitter throughout his time at Wake Forest, and has even been tabbed as “the greatest hitter Wake Forest has ever had,” and I think that may be true.
My opinion really changed once I read this fantastic piece by Baseball America‘s Michael Lananna. In this article, Craig and Lananna discuss all of the things Will has overcome. I love that bulldog mentality in a player. He wants to be the best. He wants to prove the doubters wrong. And most importantly, he works really damn hard. Perhaps my favorite part of this article was when Craig discussed his time with the summer amateur program, the East Cobb Yankees. The coach at the time, Coach James Beavers told him “You’re not as good as you think you are,” and that made Will work even harder.
It really amazes me how hard he has worked to become one of the best players in the very tough ACC. He finished this year playing in 52 games. He hit .392 with 16 HR and 62 RBI. He has a great approach as he walked 47 times and struck out 33 times in 171 AB. His slugging percentage of .766 was the best out of the field of 64 teams looking to head to Omaha for the College World Series. He has a chance to be great. If he can prove me wrong, and prove others wrong, he has a chance to be a star.
Will he be there at 19?
What are the chances the Mets can nab both Craig & Trammell with both of their first round picks!?
Not bad, Kevin. Some questions left unanswered, some data left unmined, but hey, you’re 19. Keep at it, bro! Heck, I read it before I knew your age and I don’t feel my time was wasted.
I think so!
I think theres always a good chance, but we’ll see!
Thank you so much! Anything you want to know, feel free to comment. I’m usually pretty good with my responses!
The realistic answer is “I don’t know!”
Take it from an old timer, life’s full of curveballs and uncertainty. it’s impossible to know, impossible to predict unless every prior team has disclosed their picks with 100% certainly, and nothing derails those plans. One change, could derail the rest. It’s the reason why every team has a bunch of alternatives every selection, and think ahead.
I think that is definitely possible although there has been some chatter about Yankees liking Craig.
Does he play a position? Or is that sort of thing not worth mentioning?
3rd Base