1. Overview
Allen Thomas Craig is an American former professional baseball outfielder and first baseman. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the St. Louis Cardinals and Boston Red Sox. The Cardinals drafted Craig from the University of California, Berkeley, in 2006, and he made his Major League debut with them in 2010.
Throughout his minor league career from 2007 to 2009, Craig consistently maintained a batting average above .300 with at least 20 home runs each season. He was particularly known for his exceptional performance with runners in scoring position (RISP). In 2012, he achieved a .400 batting average with RISP, which he further improved to .454 the following season, marking the third-highest such average of all time in MLB.
Craig participated in two World Series, making history in both. In the 2011 World Series, he tied a record by collecting three hits that drove in the game-winning run. In the 2013 World Series, he became the first player to score a game-winning run on an obstruction call. After retiring from playing in 2019, Craig transitioned into baseball operations, currently serving as an advisor for the San Diego Padres.
2. Early life and amateur career
Allen Craig's early life was rooted in Southern California, where he developed his athletic talents across multiple sports before focusing on baseball in college.
2.1. Childhood and high school
Allen Craig was born on July 18, 1984, in Mission Viejo, California, and was raised in Temecula, California. His parents, Ron and Kim Craig, had moved to the Temecula Valley in the 1970s for his father's employment with the Eastern Municipal Water District of Southern California. The family relocated multiple times before settling permanently in Temecula. Craig has one younger sister named Kendal.
His father was an early volunteer in building the baseball fields that would become the Ronald Reagan Sports Complex near Temecula Valley High School. From a young age, Craig participated in the national Tee Ball division of Little League Baseball, where his father coached and his mother served on the board of directors. As a youth, he also played for the 14-and-under USA Baseball team, which included games in Venezuela.
At Chaparral High School in Temecula, Craig excelled as a two-sport athlete in both baseball and basketball. In his senior year of 2002, he received accolades in both sports. In basketball, he earned first-team all-league and all-valley honors, setting a school record with 94 three-pointers. In baseball, he was named All-Valley Baseball Player of the Year. He also earned the Most Valuable Player (MVP) award at the Riverside All-Star Game. His impressive .585 batting average and eight home runs were instrumental in leading Chaparral to the Southwest League title. That summer, Craig played for the USA Junior National team, batting .485 with 11 runs scored, helping his team secure a bronze medal at the International Baseball Federation (IBAF) World Junior Championship in Sherbrooke, Quebec.
2.2. College and college baseball
After high school, Craig attended the University of California, Berkeley, where he was a four-year starter for the California Golden Bears baseball team. He displayed significant positional versatility, playing all four infield positions during his collegiate career.
As a freshman, he primarily played shortstop and posted a .353 batting average with runners in scoring position (RISP). He was recognized as Pac-10 Player of the Week from February 4-10, 2003, for his 7-for-17 (.412) performance, which included two doubles, a grand slam, and five runs batted in (RBI) in games against San Francisco and Loyola Marymount. In his sophomore season, Craig spent more time at first base, batting .285, leading the team with 29 bases on balls (BB), and recording 19 multi-hit games. He also earned an honorable mention for the Pac-10 all-academic team. The following year, Craig primarily started in left field, batting .308 overall and .338 with RISP. He had a strong series against Washington State from March 22-24, 2005, going 7-13 (.538). Later, on April 22, he collected three hits in three at-bats against USC, and two days later, he went 4-4 against the same team. Craig received honorable mentions for both the All-Pacific-10 baseball team and the academic team. His career batting statistics at UC Berkeley included a .308 batting average, 27 home runs, and 108 RBI.
During his off-season at UC Berkeley, Craig played two seasons for the Alexandria Beetles of the Northwoods League (NWL), a collegiate summer baseball league. He mostly played shortstop but also contributed in the outfield, at third base, and first base. His first NWL season was in 2003, after his freshman year, where he batted .229 in 15 games before his playing time was cut short by injury. He returned in 2005 after his junior season and had a standout NWL season, which included a 21-game hitting streak. In 49 games, Craig batted .362 with 12 home runs, 17 doubles, and 40 RBI. For his performance, Craig was named first-team shortstop for Baseball America's 2005 College Summer All-America team.
3. Professional career
Allen Craig's professional baseball career spanned from his draft by the St. Louis Cardinals in 2006, through his significant contributions with the team, to his later struggles with the Boston Red Sox and a brief stint with the San Diego Padres organization.
3.1. Draft and minor leagues
The St. Louis Cardinals drafted Craig as a shortstop in the eighth round of the 2006 MLB draft, as the 256th overall pick, signing him for 15.00 K USD. However, he played only three games at shortstop with the State College Spikes in 2006 before primarily playing third base. As a hitter, Craig consistently demonstrated power across all levels of the Cardinals' farm system, hitting 76 home runs over a three-and-a-half-season span between 2006 and 2010, which constituted the majority of his minor league playing time.
In the Florida State League in 2006, he posted an adjusted on-base plus slugging percentage 26% above the league average. His 21 home runs in a challenging environment with humid air and large ballparks drew attention, marking him as one of the top minor league hitters. Baseball America ranked him as the Cardinals' number-15 prospect following that season. From 2007 through 2009, Craig advanced through the high-A level to AAA, playing between 119 and 129 games each season while maintaining a batting average of at least .304 with 22 home runs and 80 RBI.
Although Craig initially appeared to play adequately at third base, his throwing motion raised concerns about his ability to play the position in the Major Leagues as he progressed through the minor leagues. With David Freese ahead of him on the Cardinals' depth chart and possessing a better-regarded glove, Craig was increasingly shifted to the outfield in 2009. He further enhanced his versatility by playing first base. Despite these defensive transitions, his hitting remained consistent, as he posted a .921 on-base plus slugging percentage with the AAA Memphis Redbirds. His steady hitting and expanded positional coverage led to Craig being named the Cardinals system Player of the Year. The club added him to their 40-man roster in November 2009.
After making his Major League debut in April 2010, Craig spent significant time on the Cardinals' roster. He also accumulated 83 games at Memphis, batting .320 with 14 home runs, 81 RBI, and a .549 slugging percentage. Over the next two seasons, he made 19 more appearances at Memphis, Springfield, and Palm Beach, collecting 20 hits in 69 at-bats with four home runs and 14 RBI.
3.2. St. Louis Cardinals
Craig's tenure with the St. Louis Cardinals saw him evolve from a promising rookie into a clutch-hitting regular, contributing significantly to a World Series championship before injuries began to impact his performance.
3.2.1. 2010-2011
Allen Craig made the Cardinals' big-league club out of spring training in 2010 and appeared in his first MLB game on April 8. He started in right field and went 0-4 at the plate against the Cincinnati Reds. Craig hit his first home run on July 19 off the Philadelphia Phillies' Kyle Kendrick. His second home run came on August 22 in the Cardinals' 9-0 victory over the San Francisco Giants' Barry Zito. One month later, he hit his third home run in a 7-1 defeat of the Chicago Cubs on September 24 in support of Adam Wainwright's bid for his first 20-win season. In 44 total games in 2010, Craig had 124 plate appearances (PA), batted .246, hit seven doubles and four home runs with 18 RBI.
By 2011, it became clear that Craig could hit major league pitching as well as he had in the minor leagues. However, securing regular playing time was challenging due to the presence of Lance Berkman, Matt Holliday, and Albert Pujols already occupying first base and the corner outfield positions, which were Craig's best-suited roles. To increase his opportunities in the lineup, manager Tony La Russa began playing him at second base near the end of May.
In June, after batting .336 with 23 RBI in 107 at-bats, he suffered a small kneecap fracture against the Houston Astros when he ran into the wall while tracking a fly ball in right field. The team placed him on the disabled list (DL) with an expected recovery time of about six weeks. However, the healing of the fracture stagnated throughout the season, with persistent swelling around the knee slowing Craig's rehabilitation. Despite this, he regularly strengthened the muscles around his patella and was cleared to play after passing a series of medical tests. He also dedicated extra time to warming up his knee before each game. After his return, Craig hit .290 in 35 games. He concluded the regular season with a .315 batting average, 15 doubles, 11 home runs, 40 RBI, and a .555 slugging percentage in 75 games and 219 PA.
The Cardinals made the playoffs that year. Craig struggled in his first ten games, accumulating just three hits in 17 at-bats across 21 plate appearances against the Philadelphia Phillies in the National League Division Series (NLDS) and the Milwaukee Brewers in the National League Championship Series (NLCS). However, he delivered the go-ahead pinch-hit single in Game 6 of the NLCS to send the Cardinals to the World Series.
In the World Series, Craig made his debut in Game 1, hitting a two-out, go-ahead pinch-hit single off Texas Rangers' pitcher Alexi Ogando's fastball. The following night, La Russa again called on Craig to pinch hit against Ogando. This time, he lined a 96 mph fastball to right field to break a scoreless tie. With that single, he joined Dusty Rhodes, Del Unser, and Hal McRae as the only players to collect pinch-hit RBI in three consecutive postseason at-bats. He also joined Duke Snider and Amos Otis as the only hitters with the go-ahead hit in the sixth inning or later in consecutive World Series games. Furthermore, Craig became the first player with two go-ahead RBIs as a pinch-hitter in World Series play. After hitting the go-ahead home run in Game 7, which tied a World Series record shared by Kiki Cuyler and Hank Greenberg with three game-winning RBI, Craig caught the last out of the Series, securing the Cardinals' eleventh World Series championship. For the series, Craig appeared in all seven games and collected five hits in 19 at-bats (.263 batting average), three home runs, and five RBI for a .737 slugging percentage. His totals in the 2011 postseason included a .622 slugging percentage and a 1.013 on-base plus slugging (OPS). With his kneecap still not fully healed, Craig elected to have surgery to repair the fracture the following November.
3.2.2. 2012
Despite his strong 2011 performance and World Series heroics, new manager Mike Matheny initially assigned Craig the role of utility player at the outset of the 2012 season, as veterans Carlos Beltrán, Berkman, and Holliday were already established at first base and in the outfield corners. Additionally, Craig spent all of April on the disabled list (DL) recovering from his knee surgery. However, upon his return to play on May 1, the Cardinals designated outfielder Erik Komatsu for assignment to make room, and Craig found a significant amount of playing time due to Berkman's placement on the DL.
After hitting five home runs in a seven-game stretch, injury quickly struck again when he pulled a hamstring in a game against the San Francisco Giants on May 18, landing him back on the 15-day DL. Prior to this, Craig had made a compelling case for a starting lineup spot, hitting .373 with a .424 on-base percentage and .765 slugging percentage in thirteen games, especially with top prospect Matt Adams slumping.
Craig returned to action on June 1, and three days later, his tiebreaking two-run home run against the New York Mets helped the Cardinals end a five-game losing streak with a 5-4 win. In a stretch from June 9-21, he experienced a rare slump, batting just .175 with one home run in 11 games. However, Craig soon realized that pitchers were throwing him more sliders. Over the next nine games through July 3, he adjusted to his opponents' strategy, batting .364 with five home homes and 15 RBI. By that date, he had appeared in only 40 of the Cardinals' 80 games, accumulating 152 at-bats. Nonetheless, he tied Holliday (296 at-bats), catcher Yadier Molina (265), and third baseman David Freese (276) with 13 home runs. He also maintained a .322 batting average with 43 RBI. His RBI total ranked third in the NL since May 1, despite his second DL stint.
By September 16, he had demonstrated his skill at hitting with runners in scoring position, boasting a .355 batting average in his 197 career at-bats in such situations. Craig maintained consistency throughout the season, finishing with a .307 average, 22 home runs, and 92 RBI in 119 games. He ranked tenth in the NL in batting, seventh in slugging percentage (.522), and placed 19th in the Most Valuable Player (MVP) award balloting. He also led all major leaguers with a .400 batting average with runners in scoring position (RISP). Despite two trips to the DL, Craig played 30 games in the outfield and led the team in starts at first base with 86, while Berkman appeared in just 32 total games.
3.2.3. 2013
With Berkman's departure via free agency, Craig became the Cardinals' primary first baseman. On March 8, the club announced they had reached an agreement with him on a five-year contract worth 31.00 M USD, with a team option for a sixth season. This deal bought out his three future arbitration-eligible years and his first year of free agency. Craig would have earned 13.00 M USD in the 2018 season if the Cardinals had exercised their option.
In July, National League manager Bruce Bochy selected Craig to his first All-Star Game at Citi Field in Queens, New York City, as a reserve first baseman. His first-half performance included batting .333 with 10 home runs and 74 RBI. Both his RBI and hit totals (116) placed second in the NL. He became the fifth alumnus of the California Golden Bears to be named to an MLB All-Star team.
With his team facing a 5-4 deficit, Craig belted the game-winning grand slam against the division rival Reds on August 26. The final outcome was 8-6. It was his first career grand slam, boosting his totals to seven hits in ten bases-loaded at-bats with 20 RBI to that point in the season (14 for 31, .452 batting average for his career). He was also batting .452 with runners in scoring position-again leading the Major Leagues-and it was the third-highest of all time for a single season, after George Brett (.469, 1980) and Tony Gwynn (.459, 1997).
A Lisfranc injury on September 4, sustained on an infield hit against the Reds, prevented him from appearing in a game for the rest of the regular season. At the time, he was third in the NL in RBI with 97. He eventually finished eighth, but still led the Cardinals in this category. St. Louis Post-Dispatch sportswriter Bernie Miklasz dubbed Craig "The Clutchmaster", "The RBI Machine", and "an RBI Monster". He also finished eighth in batting average (.315). His final batting average with RISP-.454-remained the Major League high and third-highest all-time. That figure surpassed Brian Jordan's average of .422 in 1996 (62 of 147) as the team record. In spite of his success hitting with RISP, Baseball-Reference.com rated his Wins Above Replacement (WAR) at 2.2 and Fangraphs at 2.6.
Craig's chances of returning to play before the end of the season depended on how far the Cardinals could extend their season in the playoffs. They qualified for the postseason by finishing with the best regular season record (97-65) in the National League. They continued winning through the playoffs, defeating the Pittsburgh Pirates in the NLDS and the Los Angeles Dodgers in the NLCS. Ready as a hitter in time for the World Series against the Boston Red Sox, Matheny initially excluded him from defensive play as his injury was not fully healed. Therefore, he served as the designated hitter (DH) at Fenway Park in Boston and a pinch hitter at Busch Stadium in St. Louis, a National League park where the DH is not normally played.
In Game 3, Craig was part of an unusual, game-ending play. With the score tied 4-4 in the bottom of the ninth, Cardinals center fielder Jon Jay hit a ground ball off pitcher Koji Uehara toward second baseman Dustin Pedroia, who threw the ball home to catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia to easily tag Yadier Molina out attempting to score. Saltalamacchia then threw the ball to Will Middlebrooks as Craig rounded third, but it sailed wide into left field for an error. At the same time, Middlebrooks tripped Craig while reaching for the ball. Daniel Nava recovered the ball and threw it back to home plate long before Craig would have successfully scored. Due to being tripped, umpire Jim Joyce awarded Craig home plate when he called an obstruction on Middlebrooks, giving the Cardinals a 5-4 walk-off victory. This was the first known such walk-off victory in World Series history. However, the Cardinals lost the series to the Red Sox in six games. Craig batted 16 times and collected six hits for a .375 batting average. After the season, he finished 21st in the MVP balloting, but likely would have finished much higher had he not missed nearly a month of the season due to injury.
3.2.4. 2014
With another free agent departure in Beltrán, Craig again shifted positions in 2014, replacing him in right field. This move also cleared the way for Matt Adams to assume first base. Craig started the season slowly, batting just .220 with a .644 OPS in April. He improved in May, batting .291 and raising his OPS to .781. On July 31, 2014, Craig was traded along with Joe Kelly to the Red Sox in exchange for John Lackey and prospect Corey Littrell. His final statistics with the Cardinals in 2014 were 97 games played, a .237 batting average, 7 home runs, 44 RBI, and 1 stolen base.
3.3. Boston Red Sox
Upon being inserted into the Boston Red Sox lineup, Craig struggled significantly during the last two months of the 2014 season, hitting only .128 while striking out 36 times. The following season, Craig began 2015 as Boston's starting first baseman. However, due to continued struggles, on May 9, 2015, the Red Sox optioned Craig to the Pawtucket Red Sox of the Triple-A International League. Since Craig had not yet accrued five years of service time, the Red Sox could option him to the minor leagues without his consent. On May 18, they outrighted him to the minors, removing him from the 40-man roster. He was re-added to the major league roster on September 1. Over 93 games with Pawtucket, he batted .274 with four home runs and thirty RBIs, while in 36 games with Boston, he batted .152. Craig returned to Pawtucket in 2016, but missed a majority of the season due to injury, playing only 29 minor league games across two teams. He also returned to Pawtucket in 2017, but was released on June 30.
3.4. San Diego Padres
On January 22, 2018, Craig signed a minor league contract with the San Diego Padres. Over 92 games with the Triple-A El Paso Chihuahuas, he slashed .293/.375/.479 with 13 home runs and 59 RBI. Craig elected free agency following the season on November 2. He re-signed with the Padres on a minor league contract on December 19, 2018, but was released by the organization on March 19, 2019.
4. Player characteristics
Allen Craig was known for his strong offensive capabilities, particularly his clutch hitting, though his defensive versatility was often accompanied by limitations in his fielding skills. His career was also frequently impacted by injuries.
4.1. Hitting
Craig's offensive capabilities were a hallmark of his playing style, characterized by a combination of contact and power. In the minor leagues, from 2007 to 2009, he consistently maintained a batting average above .300 with at least 20 home runs each season, demonstrating both his ability to make contact and hit for power. He was noted for his patient hitting approach, waiting for mistakes from pitchers, and his ability to hit to all fields with power. He also possessed the skill to adjust his batting approach based on the opposing pitcher.
A distinctive feature of Craig's hitting was his exceptional performance in high-pressure situations. He displayed an overwhelming clutch hitting ability. In the 2011 World Series, he hit three game-winning home runs. From 2012 to 2013, he led Major League Baseball in batting average with runners in scoring position (RISP) for two consecutive years. Specifically, his .454 RISP batting average in 2013 stands as the third-highest in MLB history.
4.2. Defense
Despite his offensive prowess, Craig's defensive skills presented challenges throughout his career. While he demonstrated versatility, playing every position in the major leagues except pitcher, shortstop, and catcher, he had no single natural defensive position. After an early experiment at second base in his Major League career, first base and the corner outfield positions emerged as the roles for which he was best suited.
He played shortstop in amateur baseball and third base in the minor leagues, but he was not considered well-suited to play either position in the major leagues due to the faster pace of the game. He posted a low fielding percentage of just .927 in 246 minor league games at third base. According to former Cardinals player development executive Jeff Luhnow and Memphis Redbirds manager Ron Warner, Craig's arm strength, range, and footwork proved problematic for third base. While he improved his footwork enough for the Texas League, it was still deemed insufficient for the major leagues, as his movement to his left was inhibited, restricting his ability to initiate double plays. Furthermore, he relied on his innate strength to compensate for time lost due to an inefficient, semi-sidearm throwing motion that he was unable to fully correct. His weak arm and generally lower defensive ability often led to him being deployed in whatever position was available.
4.3. Injury history
Allen Craig's career was significantly impacted by a series of recurring injuries, which frequently led to stints on the disabled list and affected his playing time and performance. In 2011, he suffered a patella (kneecap) fracture and also dealt with a groin injury, leading to two separate placements on the disabled list. The kneecap injury required surgery in November 2011. The following year, in 2012, he experienced a hamstring injury, again resulting in a disabled list stint. In 2013, he sustained a Lisfranc injury in his foot on September 4, which prematurely ended his regular season. Upon his trade to the Boston Red Sox in 2014, he immediately suffered a left ankle sprain during his first game. In 2016, a majority of his season was missed due to various injuries, limiting him to only 29 minor league games.
5. Awards and honors
Allen Craig received numerous awards and honors throughout his amateur and professional baseball career, recognizing his achievements at various levels of play.
| Title | # of times | Dates (Ranking or event) |
|---|---|---|
| Major leagues | ||
| World Series Champion | 1 | 2011 |
| Major League Baseball All-Star | 1 | 2013 |
| Minor leagues | ||
| Minor leagues All-Star | 5 | 2006 midseason (New York-Penn League), 2007 midseason and postseason (Florida State League), 2008 midseason and postseason (Texas League) |
| Minor leagues All-Star game Top Star | 1 | 2007 (Florida State League) |
| Baseball America's Cardinals' top prospects | 4 | 2007 (#15), 2008 (#26), 2009 (#7), 2010 (#5) |
| Baseball America's Cardinals' best minor league power hitter | 2 | 2009, 2010 |
| Cardinals system Player of the Year | 1 | 2009 |
| Cardinals organization Player of the Month | 2 | June 2007, July 2009 |
| The Cardinal Nation/Scout.com Top Prospect | 2 | 2010 (#7), 2011 (#7) |
| College | ||
| Baseball America All-American First Team | 1 | 2005 (SS) |
| Top ten National League finishes | ||
|---|---|---|
| Statistical category | # of times | Season (Rank, description) |
| Batting average | 2 | 2012 (7th, .307), 2013 (8th, .315) |
| Batting average with runners in scoring position | 2 | 2012 (1st, .400)†, 2013 (1st, .454)† |
| Slugging percentage | 1 | 2012 (7th, .522) |
| Runs batted in | 1 | 2013 (8th, 97) |
6. Personal life
Allen Craig holds a degree in Social Welfare from the University of California, Berkeley. Growing up, his favorite baseball players were Ken Griffey Jr. and Cal Ripken Jr.. He attended high school with Brandon Snider, the grandson of Duke Snider, with whom Craig later tied a World Series consecutive pinch-hit record.
On November 12, 2011, Craig married his long-time girlfriend, Marie LaMarca, who also graduated from Chaparral High School. The couple resides in their mutual hometown of Temecula, along with their two daughters and a pet tortoise named Torty. Torty, whom Craig has owned since it was a hatchling, gained notoriety and a cult following through a vicarious Twitter account and has since served as an informal mascot for the Cardinals.
In May 2014, Craig partnered with fellow Cardinals outfielder Jon Jay for the Jay-Craig Celebrity Bowl and the Flamingo Bowl in downtown St. Louis. The proceeds from these events benefited Great Circle, a nonprofit organization that provides behavioral health services for individuals with autism, educational challenges, emotional health issues, in-home crisis intervention, foster care and adoption services, adventure therapy, and psychological trauma recovery.
7. Post-playing career
Allen Craig retired from playing baseball on April 12, 2019. Following his retirement, he joined the San Diego Padres front office as an advisor to baseball operations. On January 30, 2024, it was announced that Craig would assume an expanded role that involves interacting with both the MLB team and minor league affiliates as an assistant.