To understand how Max Kranick went from Minor Leaguer to Major Leaguer after only seven games in Double-A or higher, one must consider how Pittsburgh Pirates They have remade their player development philosophy.
However, to understand how he dominated Sunday in his MLB debut after a pandemic season and only a few reps above High-A, one must consider the incredible amount of work he put into remaking his play:
Rookie Kranick, the Pirates’ 26th prospect, pitched five perfect innings in a 7-2 slate win over the St. Louis Cardinals Sunday at Busch Stadium for his first major league win.
Kranick (1-0, 0.00) was unable to advance his perfect game bet despite using just 50 pitches due to a 1:04 rain delay after he retired the team in the fifth inning.
Right-hander Duane Underwood Jr. came in relief in the sixth, firing a perfect frame as the Pirates tried to become the first team with perfect combined play, but allowed a double in the seventh to Dylan Carlson.
The young Kranick was not afraid to throw the ball over the plate and make contact. Eight of his 15 outs came in the air, while he struck out three batters, two on a four-seam that averaged 94.1 mph and one on a cutting action slider.
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Rookie Kranick attributed much of his success to the 18 people, including his parents, siblings, family and friends, who traveled to Busch Stadium to see him debut. The night before climbing the mound, he was reunited with his parents at their hotel in St. Louis, and his father felt that Kranick was ready for the opportunity he had worked for all his life.
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