2018 Miami Marlins Review: Left-Handed Reliever Karl Craigie

Left-handed pitcher Karl Craigie held opponents to a .232 average in 2018.

Throughout the 2018/2019 offseason, Marlin Maniac will devote one article each for every player who appeared in the Miami Marlins system for the 2018 season. Every. Single. Player. This is Part 249 of 286.

Karl Jason Craigie is a 6’1″, 215 lb. left-handed batting and throwing reliever from Austin, Texas, population 950,715. Thirty-seven major leaguers have come out of Austin, including Justin Ruggiano, Huston Street, and Matt Belisle.

Craigie was born on January 22nd, 1995, and attended Hendrickson HS in Pflugerville, TX. He played two seasons of JC with Ranger College in the North Texas Junior College Athletic Conference. He followed that with two years in Conference USA with Division I University of Texas-San Antonio. In four collegiate seasons in total, Craigie was 12-7 with a 5.28 ERA, 179 K’s in 202 2/3 innings, and a 1.75 WHIP. Follow Craigie on Twitter @K_Craigie_.

The Miami Marlins chose Craigie in the 34th round of the 2017 MLB Amateur Draft, with the 1,019th overall selection. Of all the players chosen at that spot, only one has advanced to the major leagues. Tony Scott (1969, Montreal Expos, 4.4 career WAR).

Craigie soon afterward came to terms with the Miami Marlins and received his first professional assignment to the rookie-level, Florida-based Gulf Coast League, with the GCL Marlins. He played in 12 games, all in relief, and posted a 3-0 record with a 4.86 ERA. He struck out 17 in 16 2/3 innings, surrendering seven walks and finishing with a 1.620 WHIP.

To start the 2018 campaign, Craigie was reassigned to the short-season-A Batavia Muckdogs, in the New York-Penn League. He appeared out of the bullpen six times for them, striking out eight in 6 2/3 innings. The small sample size was not kind to his WHIP, which clocked in at 1.950. On June 28th, he struck out the side in a hitless ninth inning of a 14-9 loss to the Auburn Doubledays.

On July 9th, Craigie was reassigned to the GCL Marlins once more, and he responded with better metrics across the board. He played in nine games, including one start for them, and held opponents to two walks and 10 hits over 14 innings for a 0.837 WHIP. He also struck out 16 and held opponents to a .189/.232/.245 slashline in his second stay. Most impressively, he struck out six over three perfect relief innings on August 15th, earning the win in a 10-6 victory against the GCL Astros.

Despite Craigie’s obvious improvement, the Miami Marlins released him on January 23rd. He’s a free agent, and able to sign with any organization, affiliated or otherwise.

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