2. J.P. Crawford, SS
Birthdate: 1/11/95 (21 years old)
Level(s) Played in 2016: AA, AAA
Stats in 2016: .250/.349/.339, 7 HR, 12 SB
This will likely be a bit on the “controversial” side for many Phillies fans, and even on a national level, but the more I talked with guys outside of the system, the more I heard concern on Crawford.
Often I would attribute that to prospect fatigue as a guy who was a top 5-10 prospect in the game didn’t have a major season and people are just dinging the guy to ding him, but the reports weren’t about things you’d usually hear.
Crawford saw a solid season in the field. That is one area that is absolutely not in doubt. He will be an elite fielder without question with excellent instincts at short
Crawford is a guy who has excellent bat control and bat speed, and that’s led many to believe that Crawford will be a guy to not only hit for good average but also solid power in the future.
In my viewings, I really see a lot of Andrelton Simmons in Crawford. That’s an incredibly valuable piece, but it’s not a top 5 prospect in baseball piece. He swings out of his shoes at times, and while he has good strike zone judgement and doesn’t strike out a ton, he rarely makes “best” contact with a pitch.
Crawford for all of his brilliance in the field with an exceptional range also doesn’t flash speed on base to steal or even grab extra bases frequently.
He will likely challenge for the big league job out of Spring Training, but I do see a Simmons/Jose Iglesias future for Crawford, not a Francisco Lindor sort of future.
Next: #1