McRae debuts in Pittsburgh Wednesday night

CHARLESTON, W.V. (August 2, 2018) - After being promoted to the Pirates for the second time this season July 27, Alex McRae made his MLB debut with the parent club Wednesday night in Pittsburgh against the Chicago Cubs. McRae had been previously called up July 7, but did not make an appearance before being assigned back to Triple-A Indianapolis July 10. The 25-year-old is the 71st former Power player to play in the big leagues.
In his debut against the Cubs, McRae worked three innings and allowed one run on three hits while striking out three and walking one. McRae handled the fifth through the seventh innings in Wednesday's 9-2 loss to the Cubs. He also went 0-for-1 at the plate with a lineout to center field in the fifth.

The 2014 10th-round draft pick by Pittsburgh started his professional career with the Jamestown Jammers of the New York-Penn League, turning in a 3-6 record with a 6.21 ERA over 15 starts in his inaugural campaign. McRae was elevated to the Power the following season and served as a mainstay in the club's rotation, making 27 starts and posting an 8-9 record with a 4.98 ERA over 137.1 innings.
The West Allis, Wisconsin, native saw his first Double-A action in 2016 after performing well for the Advanced-A Marauders in the first half. McRae was a bit inconsistent in the second half for Altoona, but managed to find his footing and still secure a winning record at 8-6, although his ERA was north of 4.50.
The 2017 season was a real turning point for McRae, who spent the entire season with the Curve and earned his first and only Mid-Season All-Star nod. In 27 games (25 starts) McRae dazzled his way through the Eastern League to the tune of a 10-5 record with a 3.61 ERA over 149.2 innings while racking up 89 strikeouts to 44 walks. His numbers impressed the Pirates, as he earned his first non-roster invite to Spring Training in 2018.
McRae was assigned to Triple-A Indianapolis out of camp and has notched a 3-8 record with a 4.76 ERA in 20 games thus far. He made 118 career MiLB appearances before being inserted into his first big league action.
McRae is the sixth former Power player to make his MLB debut in 2018, following right-handers Clay Holmes, Colten Brewer, Nick Kingham and Tanner Anderson, as well as outfielder Austin Meadows. For information on all former Power players who have logged time in the Major Leagues, visit www.wvpower.com.