New Look Crowe Proof That New Approach is Working
This off-season, the Pittsburgh Pirates made a surprise Christmas Eve move when they traded first baseman Josh Bell to the Washington Nationals. The return was a pretty modest one as the Pirates received two mid-level prospects in exchange for their power-hitting first baseman. The key piece to the deal was RHP Eddy Yean, the Pirate's #12 overall prospect who is currently at Low-A Bradenton. However, the other piece was right-hander Wil Crowe, who coming into the season was 0-2 with an 11.80 ERA in three starts with Washington. At 26-years-old, he would get a chance to fight for a spot in the starting rotation, to prove he could impact the team this year.
Crowe did end up making the Big League roster out of the bullpen, but his first stint was not very good. In his first eight appearances of the season, seven starts, he ended up pitching to a 7.26 ERA over 31 innings of work. He was sent back down to the Minor Leagues after giving up eight earned runs in four innings against the Atlanta Braves. He went down to work with Triple-A pitching coach Joel Hanrahan and ended up making one scoreless relief appearance. He was recalled again when the Pirates sent Mitch Keller down, and he has looked like a new pitcher. Since his recall to the Major Leagues, he has made three starts and pitched to a 4.91 ERA, including his first Major League win. Today, we look at what has changed for Crowe between his two stints showing the Pirates development team has taken a step forward.
New Look Crowe in Second Stint
The biggest improvement we have seen from Crowe after his short time in the Minor Leagues is his ability to pound the strike zone. Walks and ineffectiveness plagued him his first time here, but since coming back he has been attacking hitters more frequently. This was evident in his first start back when he took on the Milwaukee Brewers. He put together the best start of his young career, going 5.0 innings allowing two runs on two hits while walking one and striking out a career-high eight batters. Although Crowe wasn't as efficient as he would have liked, he was in the strike zone a good bit with a strike rate of 64% on the night. He was pulled after five, and the Pirates handed him a no-decision, but it was a step in the right direction for Crowe.
His next time out came against the Cleveland Indians, another strong team, and he once again looked sharp on the mound. However, he was inefficient again lasting just 4.2 innings while allowing two earned runs on four hits while walking two and striking out two. Crowe threw 84 pitches through 4.2 innings but was lifted for left-hander Chasen Shreve. The Pirates eventually came back to win in the seventh inning, but Crowe was visibly upset that he was removed from the game. His strike rate was down to just 57% in the second outing, but once again he was attacking hitters throughout the night. Crowe had five three-ball counts throughout the night but was showing that attack mentality.
Then came Crowe's outing last night, where he was making his 10th Pirate start still looking for a win. It had been 39 years since a Pirate pitcher went 10 starts without getting a win, and Crowe did not want to break that string. It may not have been the start he imagined, but he did enough to be in line for his first win. He lasted 5.0 innings giving up four runs on eight hits while walking two and striking out two. The Cardinals got some good wood on the ball against him, but the key was that Crowe limited the damage. The two home runs he allowed were both solo shots so they didn't do as much damage as they could have done. However, the key again was the fact that his strike percentage stayed right around 60% for the third start in a row. It was a good night for Crowe in his first MLB win and shows his new attack mode is working for him in the big leagues.
Keeping the Success Going
Crowe has pitched better in his last three starts, but the key for him to stay in the rotation is going to be to stay consistent. Right now, he is averaging about 75-80 pitches to get through five innings of work, and he is going to have to be more efficient than that. One thing we have yet to see from Crowe is a truly dominant start on the mound. He has the demeanor for it, as we saw when he pitched against Cleveland and was mad when he was pulled, but his stuff just isn't there yet to be a truly dominant starter. The big issue for Crowe is that he gives up way too many hard hits, at 34.1%, and doesn't have that go-to pitch when he needs it to get out of jams.
His most-used pitch this season has been his fastball, at 41.9%, which he likes to start hitters off with. It has been a pretty effective pitch for him, with an opponent batting average of .245, but it also seems to be an all-or-nothing pitch. The only extra-base hits he has allowed with it are four of the eight home runs he has given up this season. However, it has also generated the most strikeouts with 15. However, his most effective pitch this year has been his change-up, which he goes to about 16% of the time. Opponents are hitting just .217 against the Change-up and have a Whiff rate of 28.6%. With 10 mph separating his change-up and his fastball, it is a deceptive pitch that looks like his fastball but has hitters way far behind.
While I don't see Crowe as a long-term part of this bullpen, I do see him as a guy who bridges the gap for a couple of seasons. With guys like Quinn Priester and Carmen Mlodzinski still a couple of years away, the Pirates need guys like Crowe to essentially hold rotation spots until they are ready. At just 26-years-old, Crowe is still young enough where he is maturing at the Big League level, and still has time to change some people's minds. His big key will be finding that "go-to" pitch so he can have those dominant innings. His change-up is starting to look like one of those types of pitches, but only time will tell how it develops. This is a big opportunity for Crowe, and he is hoping to show the Pirates that he can be a part of their future.
The Pittsburgh Pirates (28-46) are on a roll and look to take it to the St. Louis Cardinals (36-40) in game three this afternoon at 2:15 pm. JT Brubaker (4-6, 3.77) takes the hill for the Pirates against Adam Wainwright (5-5, 3.74) in a classic pitcher's duel. You can watch the game live on AT&T Sportsnet or listen on 93.7 The Fan.
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