With 54 IP at AAA already, is Wil Crowe ready for the majors?
- Born: September 9, 1994
- B/T: R/R
- 6’2″, 240-lbs
- Drafted by the Washington Nationals in the 2nd round of the 2017 MLB June Amateur Draft from University of South Carolina (Columbia, SC)
The Numbers
His raw numbers are listed above courtesy of baseball-reference.com. Let’s aggregate by year then focus on the important numbers for minor leaguers:
Crowe did well his rookie season, and every year since has seen him perform adequately if not dominantly. He doesn’t strike out enough batters to really cruise along, so his WHIP can be just average at times. His walk rate bounces around as well, and to the extent that it is in control, so will his WHIP be in control.
He seems to have similar results against both types of batters. AAA was a challenge for him in both cases, and righties really scored a lot of runs off him. Again, if he walks guys and doesn’t strike out enough of the others, his WHIP will be subject to the vagaries of BABIP.
I see a slight shift to Left, but overall it’s fairly balanced.
He looks like a pitcher who needs to adjust to a level before he excels there. Look at his AA results in 2018 where, at the end of his first full professional season, he faded after his AA promotion. Starting there again in 2019 he roared upward. Bounced to AAA he faded. I wouldn’t be surprised to see him do better the next time he faces AAA hitters.
His two best pitches are his fastball and his changeup. The fastball is a four-seamer with decent velocity but a high spin rate. When he plays his changeup off his fastball, he gets good results. His slider and curve and lesser pitches, but they also help keep the batters off balance.
The Scouts
- Rotowire: Not on their Top 400.
- BaseballHQ: Not on their Top 100.
- Fangraphs: Not on their Top 120.
- Fantasy Six Pack: Not on their dynasty list.
- Prospects365: Not on Ray Butler’s Top 200.
- Imaginary Brick Wall: #341 on the Top 487.
- Fantrax: Not on the Top 250.
Warnings
Not really loved by the scouts, is he? Well, he’s another #4 SP type, not a top prospect, but a steady arm that can help a team.
If you are looking for a high-K hurler, or someone to protect your WHIP, look elsewhere.
He’s had TJS and other injuries, so there’s risk, but he’s pitched steadily the last couple of years.
Conclusion
He’s ready for the big leagues. More time in AAA wouldn’t hurt, but at this point he might as well learn against the best competition. A period of adjustment should follow, but then he will be a steady presence in the rotation, but in the back of the rotation.
That’s the problem for Crowe: his talent level is not such that he will force the issue. He will have to wait for an opportunity to arise, then hope he can take advantage.