Friday afternoon the Pittsburgh Pirates will send right-handed pitcher Wil Crowe to the mound to start their first game of the Grapefruit League season
What: Pittsburgh Pirates vs New York Yankees
When: Friday, March 18th, 2022, 1:05 PM ET
Where: LECOM Park, Bradenton, Florida
Broadcasts: AT&T SportsNet Pittsburgh, 93.7 The Fan, MLB At-Bat, Pirate Radio Network
It’s been a long, windy, and, at times, ugly road to get here, but we have reached the start of the Grapefruit League season for the Pittsburgh Pirates. Following a lockout that lasted 99 days and a delayed spring trainings which will lead to a delayed start to the regular season, the Pirates are ready to play baseball.
Friday afternoon the Pittsburgh Pirates will kick off their Grapefruit League schedule when they welcome the New York Yankees to LECOM Park in Bradenton, Florida. Right-handed pitcher Wil Crowe will toe the rubber for the Pirates as he begins his push for a spot in the team’s Opening Day rotation.
Crowe was acquired on Christmas Eve 2020 as part of the Josh Bell trade. He started the 2021 season in the Pirate bullpen and made one appearance before being optioned to Triple-A Indianapolis.
After returning from Indy the 26-year-old Crowe joined the Pirate starting rotation. Crowe went on to make a team leading 25 starts, pitching a total of 116.2 innings between his 25 starts and lone relief appearance.
Crowe struggled to the tune of a 5.48 ERA, 5.67 FIP, 10.9% walk rate and a 1.93 HR/9. Crowe looked like a pitcher who is best suited for the bullpen long-term. Not only is this the best way to fix his home run issue he also struggled mightily the second and third time through the lineup. As a reliever, he would have to face a lineup more than once very often.
Even with his struggles as a starter last season Crowe would likely be a safe bet to start the 2022 season in the team’s starting rotation. Outside of José Quintana, no one is a lock to be in the Pirate rotation to start the season. However, the safe betting odds would be that Crowe, Zach Thompson, Mitch Keller, and Miguel Yajrue join Quintana. A strong start against the Yankees on Friday would be a strong first step toward locking down a rotation spot for Crowe.