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13 articles
PHI •
2 days ago
Crawford’s second spring steal actually featured him as the trail runner behind Christian Cairo on a double steal. After a nice start to his spring, Crawford is 4-for-21 with no extra-base hits or walks in seven games since the calendar flipped to March. The Phillies, though, still seem poised to give him a long look at the beginning of the season.
PHI •
16 days ago
Crawford doesn’t need to excel this spring in order to make the Phillies as their center fielder against right-handers, but he’s off to a nice start, having gone 5-for-15 with three doubles. That he’ll likely bat ninth and sit against lefties is going to limit his fantasy value, but he could still be a 30-steal guy as a rookie.
PHI •
23 days ago
A groundball machine in the minors, Crawford opened up with an impressive double in a lefty-lefty matchup against Eric Lauer, lining a 390-foot double to left-center. He seems pretty well assured of being the Phillies’ center fielder against right-handers to begin the year, but handling lefties well this spring could earn him some extra at-bats beyond that.
PHI •
24 days ago
Crawford is the favorite to start in center field for the Phillies on Opening Day. He’ll need a strong performance in Grapefruit League action to lock up the spot but he doesn’t have a ton of competition. The 22-year-old former first-round pick batted .334/.411/.452 with seven homers and 46 steals in 112 games at Triple-A Lehigh Valley this past season. He’ll make a fantasy impact in the stolen base department, but counting on anything beyond that in his first taste of the majors might be too optimistic, especially since he’s likely to bat at the bottom of the order. Here is the full lineup: Crawford (CF), Adolis García (RF), Edmundo Sosa (SS), Otto Kemp (LF), Bryan De La Cruz (DH), Rafael Marchán (C), Dylan Moore (2B), Christian Cairo (3B) and Keaton Anthony (1B).
Source: Philadelphia Phillies
PHI •
about 1 month ago
Varnes quotes manager Rob Thomson as saying “I’m not sure what more a guy can do in the minor leagues.” Crawford’s blazing speed, surprisingly sub-par defensive history, and lack of power leave him feeling a lot like Chandler Simpson as a fantasy bet, but he seems to have more trust from the management than Simpson does. He’s got a chance to be a two-category contributor right away, though we doubt he’ll bat high enough to be a fantasy force in this lineup.
Source: The Athletic
PHI •
3 months ago
He’ll be flanked by Brandon Marsh and Marsh’s platoon partner (probably Otto Kemp or Weston Wilson) in left and Adolis García in right. The Phillies could also carry Johan Rojas as a center field alternative against lefties and potential late-game defensive replacement, but the hope is that Crawford will seize the moment and turn into an everyday guy. The soon-to-be 22-year-old hit .334/.411/.452 with 46 steals in Triple-A last season, but his groundball tendencies on offense and his occasional poor routes in center make him something of a question mark.
Source: Scott Lauber
PHI •
3 months ago
The Phillies were never willing to give Crawford a try last season, even as he was on his way to hitting .334/.411/.452 in Triple-A. Crawford, who turns 22 next month, is a rather controversial prospect, in part because he’s an extreme groundball hitter and because his defense in center isn’t as good as his speed would suggest. Still, he hits the ball pretty hard, he’s improved his K/BB as he’s climbed the ladder and he’s an excellent basestealer. He’d have some mixed-league potential if he proves to be an everyday guy.
Source: Foul Territory
PHI •
6 months ago
Crawford took teammate Otto Kemp’s shoulder to his face on a play down the left-field line. He suffered broken teeth, but he might be able to make it back for the end of the season.
Source: Matt Gelb
PHI •
7 months ago
Crawford is 9-for-19 with three homers in his last four games and is up to .333/.409/.454 for the year. The Phillies ought to call him up and make him a starting outfielder, but they haven’t felt much sense of urgency with the rest of the team performing so well.
PHI •
8 months ago
“We just haven’t had the right time to do it yet, but he’s a person that’s always in our minds,” said Dombrowski. The 21-year-old outfielder is hitting .325/.406/.424 in 76 games at Triple-A with two home runs, 56 runs scored, and 29 RBI. The big sticking point when it comes to calling him up appears to be playing time. “If we had to bring them 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.” With Max Kepler struggling in left field, the Phillies are in the market for an outfielder at the trade deadline. It sounds like, if they are not able to acquire one, Crawford could be an option to start games at the big league level.
Source: MLB.com
PHI •
9 months ago
There was some speculation that Crawford might be headed to the big leagues earlier this week when he was abruptly pulled from a Triple-A contest, but it turns out he’s dealing with an injury concern. The 21-year-old speedster has put together a strong campaign so far and figures to arrive in the majors at some point during the second half of the year.
Source: Todd Zolecki
PHI •
9 months ago
Crawford appears to be day-to-day with a quad issue. He’s hit .349/.416/.448 for Lehigh Valley this season, and some have been calling for him to take over in center for the Phillies, though that still seems premature.
Source: Jeff Kerr
PHI •
10 months ago
The 21-year-old is now up to 20 steals on the season while slashing .338/.407/.438 with 23 RBI, 38 runs scored, and a 46/24 K/BB ratio in 49 games at Triple-A. He seems ready for the big leagues, but there is no space for him in the Phillies’ outfield right now.