Biography of Craig Wilson

Craig Allan Wilson (born November 30, 1976) is a left fielder and first baseman in Major League Baseball. As of the start of the 2005 season, Wilson had a career .269 batting average with 76 home runs and 219 runs batted in (RBI) in 490 games. A native of Fountain Valley, California, Wilson played high school ball at Marina High School in Huntington Beach, California, and was drafted as a catcher out of high school by the Toronto Blue Jays. The Pirates acquired the rights to Wilson before the 1997 season, and gradually moved him to first base and left field. After several years in the minor leagues, Wilson was called up to the big-league club in 2001.

After three years as a role player and pinch-hitter, Wilson played regularly in 2004, hitting .264 with 29 home runs and 82 RBI in 155 games, but posting a franchise-record 169 strikeouts in 561 at-bats. He led the major leagues at being hit by pitches in 2002 (21) and 2004 (30). Wilson tied the major league single-season record for pinch-hit home runs with 7 in 2001.

Scouting report

While on a hot streak, Wilson hits for good power to all fields, waiting for a good pitch to hit and driving it with authority. If he does not get anything to hit, he will take a walk. When he is cold, he tries to pull everything, leaving him vulnerable to breaking balls on the outside corner. He can crush a mistake pitch, but usually he strikes out or grounds out to the left side of the infield. Wilson is versatile defensively, playing first base and left field, although he is mediocre at both positions. He was a catcher in the minor leagues, but the Pirates do not consider him good enough defensively to play the position in the major leagues regularly. He has below-average speed, but has good judgment about when to use it.