Speedy Phillies prospect Crawford leads way for Triple-A Lehigh Valley in Prospect Showcase
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ALLENTOWN, Pa. – In a game deemed the MLB Pipeline Prospect Showcase, Justin Crawford (PHI No. 3/MLB No. 45) certainly put his best foot forward, acting as the ideal leadoff man one step away from the Majors in the Phillies system.
Crawford reached in all four of his plate appearances – walking twice and singling twice – and stole two bases from the top spot in the Triple-A Lehigh Valley order as the IronPigs defeated Norfolk, 3-2, at Coca-Cola Park.
“I take that role on fully,” Crawford said. “It’s important, especially being a leadoff hitter, to see pitches and have quality at-bats. I take a lot of pride in that. To go up there, try to see pitches, try to see spin, pick up any tendencies I can. I did a decent job with that today.”
The pair of free passes came in the left-handed hitter’s first two plate appearances, as he earned a six-pitch walk in the first and a four-pitch one in the third. His fourth-inning base hit left the bat at 102.3 mph – a true worm burner with a -6 degree launch angle – and his seventh-inning knock was at least a bit more elevated at 7 degrees off the bat into center field.
By reaching four times in the matinee, the 2022 first-rounder pushed his average to .329 through 77 games, the third-best mark in the International League and the second-best by a player aged 21 or younger in Triple-A. His .413 on-base percentage ranks seventh in the IL.
Crawford has homed his approach at the plate, improving his chase rate as he’s climbed the Philadelphia ladder. On Tuesday, he swung at only one of the 14 pitches he saw outside of the zone – an 87.3 mph cutter that he fouled away off Norfolk starter Thaddeus Ward in the first.
“Definitely the down-and-in sliders and high heaters sometimes kind of get me,” he said. “I’ve been trying to minimize that and just see pitches more in my happy zone, more in the middle of plate, more up closer to me. That's kind of what I've been trying to look for more.”
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A career .319 hitter in the Minors, Crawford has long been lauded for his ability to put the ball in play and make use of his 75-grade wheels to pick up hits in bunches. His consistently high ground ball rate has been his biggest knock, and notably, he’s slugging just .428 with two homers in his first trip to Triple-A. But he’s pushed through those concerns with speed and the increased strength that has helped him get balls through the infield. With his running ability, he’s able to turn singles (and walks) into doubles by swiping bags (31 steals in 40 attempts).
It’s that whole package that the Phillies have to weigh as they consider their plans for the stretch run. The outfield is an area of need ahead of the Trade Deadline, but if the organization doesn’t like external options, it could turn to Crawford for August and beyond. This is also a club that doesn’t shy away from moving big-name prospects to help the Major League team, either.
As noted by MLB.com’s Todd Zolecki, president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski addressed Crawford’s standing this week.
"He is a player that is very good, very talented,” Dombrowski said. “Will more development time hurt him? No. … But if we had to bring him up, or we decide to bring him up, it's not like he can't contribute by any means. But it really comes down to, if he's going to come here, we need him to be able to play the majority of the time.”
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Crawford’s combination of plate discipline, bat-to-ball skills and speed made his own case on Tuesday, and he’s keen to keep letting his play do the talking.
“Whatever happens with them or what they do with me, it’s all up to them,” he said. “I just try to stay in the moment, control what I can control, go out there, compete and put together good at-bats for the boys and my team.”
First baseman Keaton Anthony hit his first Triple-A homer with a game-tying solo shot in the eighth inning, and second baseman Rodolfo Castro walked it off with a 110.9 mph dinger to left-center on the first pitch of the bottom of the ninth from Tides reliever Matt Bowman.
Playing in his first rehab game with Norfolk, Adley Rutschman, who has been out since June 19 with a left oblique strain, doubled and walked as part of 1-for-3 day as the Tides’ designated hitter.