Position: RHP
Height: 6’3”
Weight: 220 lbs
Bats/Throws: R/R
Born: 07/21/1997
High School: Valley View HS (Archbold, PA)
How Acquired: Draft 11th round, 345th Overall, 2016
Bonus: $300,000
40-man Roster: Yes
Rule 5 Eligible: N/A
Minor League Free Agency: N/A
Options Left: 1
Overview
Kranick was rated 84th overall in the 2016 draft by Baseball America, along with 179th by MLB.com and 88th by Keith Law. He got high ranks due to a fastball that already sat in the low 90s, touching 95, at the time of the draft. More recently, his fastball has been sitting in the mid-90s, reaching 98. He gets swings and misses from an above-average slider, and has also thrown curve and change. The Pirates figured to have a difficult time signing Kranick away from his commitment to the University of Virginia, but they managed to do so two weeks after the draft for $300,000, which was $200,000 above the slot value for all picks after round 10.
2016-20
Kranick had a good debut in the GCL, not missing a lot of bats but showing excellent control. He then spent the next two years with a limited workload. In 2017, the Pirates shut him down in the spring due to shoulder soreness. He return in August, making three starts in the GCL and two in the Appalachian League, still showing good control. In 2018, the Pirates limited his workload by waiting until late May to assign him to low A. He had a good year there, still walking very few and getting his K rate up to 8.9 per nine innings.
In 2019, Kranick stayed in the Bradenton rotation all year, until the Pirates shut him down at the end of July to limit his innings total. He had a solid season, throwing strikes but not missing many bats. Opponents had a line of 246/307/388 against him, which was similar to the league average of 242/313/353, except he had a little trouble with gopher balls. Kranick had a bad stretch in May, posting a 6.41 ERA for the month compared to a 2.94 figure the rest of the year. He spent 2020 at the team’s alternate facility and reportedly impressed the Pirates. They added him to the 40-man roster in the fall.
2021-23
Kranick had an adventurous 2021 season. He started off with three starts for Altoona, then got promoted to Indianapolis. After four starts there, he got called up to the Pirates. His major league debut was memorable, as he threw five perfect innings, coming out due to a long rain delay. After that, he spent the rest of the season shuttling back and forth between Pittsburgh and Indy, often throwing just one game at a location. He ended up making a dozen starts in AAA and nine in the majors. In AAA, Kranick was erratic, often alternating good and bad starts. In the majors he struggled in most starts after that first one. He was beset by a .350 BABIP and had extreme difficulties after the first time through the lineup. Opponents had an OPS against him of just .500 the first time they saw him in a game, but 1.173 the second time and 1.046 the third. He also had trouble with left-handed batters, allowing them an OPS of .911.
Injuries cropped up again in 2022. Kranick opened the season on the injured list with a forearm strain. Once he came back he quickly worked his way up to the majors and made two scoreless outings for the Pirates. He looked good in his limited action, with his velocity reaching the upper-90s. Unfortunately, he went back out with forearm troubles and, somewhat predictably with that sort of problem, had Tommy John surgery, ending his season and keeping him out until late 2023. He returned in mid-August 2023 and, after two rehab outings, got to Indianapolis in time to make seven totaling 16.1 IP. His velocity wasn’t back to previous levels, averaging about 94 mph, but he was effective, allowing just seven hits and six walks.
Kranick has used three options, but he should qualify for a fourth due to all the time he’s missed. The Pirates, though, designated him for assignment when they signed Martin Perez.
Stats
Transactions
June 11, 2016: Drafted by the Pittsburgh Pirates in the 11th round, 345th overall pick; signed on June 27.
November 20, 2020: Contract purchased by the Pittsburgh Pirates.
January 5, 2024: Designated for assignment by the Pittsburgh Pirates.