Phillies: J.P. Crawford’s Aha Moment
Following a motivational experience, the young shortstop realized that the plate discipline he’d shown wasn’t enough for the Philadelphia Phillies to advance him to the major leagues.
The Compromise:
At a career crossroads, you must consider making changes to an inadequate plan when your goal is within sight.
If you analyze general manager Matt Klentak’s recent promotions, you’d see Nick Williams had his opportunity due to an injury, but he also was on a six-game streak of hitting with good plate discipline at the time. Then, Jorge Alfaro was the next to advance due to Andrew Knapp‘s stint on the disabled list, but Alfaro had only been averaging .250 for his eight previous contests after a cold spell. Lastly, Rhys Hoskins‘ promotion is determining the first base situation for 2018 before any offseason deal involving Tommy Joseph. But remember, Joseph was struggling and Hoskins was getting hot when the left fielder joined the team.
When the Phils placed their veteran left fielder on the DL, Williams was putting up some Triple-A numbers at the right time. And since he enjoyed his first taste of sweet fruit at the highest plateau, he is batting .286 with eight homers and 27 RBIs for 50 games. No more Triple-A? That stated, Odubel Herrera has produced for three campaigns: .297, .286 and .287 equal returning to the three-hole in the lineup. On the other hand, the red pinstripes need a left-handed hitter with power, and right fielder Dylan Cozens is making a push for a September call-up.
Triple-A stats:
- Williams: Last 6 Gms., 22 AB, 8 H, .364, 1 HR, 2 RBI, 7 BB and 8 K.
- Cozens: Last 5 Gms., 16 AB, 5 H, .313, 3 HR, 7 RBI, 1 BB and 6 K.
Because of a mistakenly exposed hand clipped by a foul tip, Alfaro received his second chance with the parent club due to Knapp’s injury, and Alfaro is producing like a man who doesn’t want to return to Triple-A again. Like Williams, apparently, he’s realizing the ways to make himself valuable and force his way into the organization’s plans, immediate and long-term. But as it stands now, Rupp is catching Aaron Nola and Jerad Eickhoff, while Alfaro handles the hurlers he’s familiar with from the Triple-A Lehigh Valley IronPigs. Three men, two jobs and your popcorn.
MLB Stats from August 5 through August 27:
- Rupp: 13 Gms., 41 AB, 10 H, .244, 3 HR and 5 RBI.
- Alfaro: 10 Gms., 39 AB, 12 H, .308, 1 HR and 4 RBI.
- Triple-A: Last 6 Gms., 24 AB, 6 H, .250, 1 HR and 2 RBI.
Williams and Alfaro had their aha moments after they arrived. Was that due to coaching? On the other hand, J.P. Crawford changed his approach on July 9.
Hoskins followed Alfaro to the majors on August 10, and management wants the left fielder to get 150 at-bats before season’s end. Despite, however, his .297 average with 11 home runs and 24 RBIs, they want to see him handling any adversity and adjusting to the opposition’s strategy for him.
Stats from August 2 through August 9:
- Hoskins: 8 AAA Gms., 31 AB, 11 H, .355, 1 HR, 2 RBI, 5 BB and 5 K.
- Cozens: 7 MLB Gms., 26 AB, 1 H, .038, 0 HR, 0 RBI, 1 BB and 4 K.
Although the red and white didn’t expect this much production from Williams, Alfaro and Hoskins, these rookies are earning strong consideration for starting roles next summer. Expect growing pains. That said, Joseph and Rupp could be part of a trade package for a left-handed bat with pop. Or the Philadelphia Phillies might carry three receivers because Alfaro can handle first base, and the nonstarters on a particular day could pinch-hit.
If you use your imagination, you can hear a conversation in the IronPigs’ dugout between the new third sacker and Cozens. During a recent game, for instance, Crawford pointed out how his friend Williams told him the Show is more than he expected. And he’s looking forward to playing in September. Yeah, he also reminded me to keep hittin’ to get there.
After telling Cozens about hearing from Williams, Crawford remarked to the outfielder they’ll find a spot for you if you provide decent offense. And the Phillies need a left-side hitter to slot behind Hoskins, and that could be you, the other Bash Brother. Hey, they’ll call you up if your numbers are there.
Many fans don’t realize that the Phillies switching the positions of second baseman Scott Kingery and Crawford will increase their value to the franchise if they can handle second, short and the hot corner. Firstly, Maikel Franco isn’t improving to anyone’s satisfaction. And Freddy Galvis will be a free agent after 2018, whereas Cesar Hernandez can leave after 2019. Ergo, a lot can happen.
IN OTHER WORDS: “There is no better therapy than understanding.” – Jimmy Piersall
After reviewing Klentak’s decision to slide Kingery over to shortstop, the logic is to have two infielders who could replace Galvis after next year. But since Franco’s performance is lacking, Crawford has to play third exclusively. Otherwise, Kingery would also see time at the hot corner for Lehigh Valley.
After he dropped from a Top 10 prospect to the bottom of the Top 100 in the mid-season rankings, Crawford only referred to it as motivation because only reaching Triple-A is not acceptable. Next thing you know, the shortstop is currently enjoying multi-hit games and launching homers.
Crawford’s stats are through August 26.
- Through July 8: 75 Gms., 275 AB, 335 PA, 58 H, .211, 5 HR, 32 RBI, 50 K and 52 BB.
- From July 9: 42 Gms., 168 AB, 198 PA, 48 H, .286, 8 HR, 24 RBI, 41 K and 26 BB.
- Through July 8: K% of 15.5 percent and a BB% of 14.9 percent.
- From July 9: K% of 20.7 percent and a BB% of 13.1 percent.
According to Fangraphs, low walk rates are only acceptable for players with exceptional power numbers. Here are plate-discipline comparisons.
| Rating | K% | BB% |
|---|---|---|
| Excellent | 10.0% | 15.0% |
| Great | 12.5% | 12.5% |
| Above Average | 16.0% | 10.0% |
| Average | 20.0% | 8.0% |
| Below Average | 22.0% | 7.0% |
| Poor | 25.0% | 5.5% |
| Awful | 27.5% | 4.0% |
Next: Phillies Calling Up Challengers
On July 7, Baseball American downgraded Crawford to number 92 in their mid-season rankings. And two days later, Crawford changed his hitting approach: He was nothing for two with two free passes on July 8 and one for four with a bomb and three punch outs on July 9. Yes, he went down a notch in strikeout percentage and walk percentage. Translation: a .286 average.