Wizard with a glove:
When the faithful weren’t talking about a gold glove, they figured swapping Freddy Galvis to make room for Crawford was a no-brainer. But the youngster hit only .214 in September despite a .356 OBP.
Although he’ll split playing time with Hernandez, Galvis and Maikel Franco, Crawford will have no difficulty defending those three positions. And even three or four games a week will mean plenty of playing time if he does more than accepting free passes.
When it comes to plate discipline, excellent (the top ranking) is 15.0 percent for walks, and Crawford didn’t earn his OBP without them. He recorded 14.2 percent with the Allentown affiliate and 18.4 percent with the red pinstripes.
After his top-10 label dropped before the second half, Crawford slightly changed his approach in the batter’s box. He began swinging at more pitches: less free passes but more knocks.
Crawford’s stats at Triple-A:
- Through July 8: 75 Gms., 275 AB, 58 H, .211, 5 HR, 32 RBI, 50 K and 52 BB.
- From July 9: 51 Gms., 202 AB, 57 H, .282, 10 HR, 31 RBI, 47 K and 31 BB.
Because Crawford was up in September, he will be more comfortable during and after spring training. Additionally, he’ll depend on his adjusted Triple-A approach to reach .250 for the parent club by June 1.
"WORDS OF WISDOM: “We start with gifts. Merit comes from what we make of them.” – Jean Toomer"