Justin Crawford Named Fastest Runner Among MLB Prospects

Before the season, MLB.com put out an article highlighting the "best tools" of players in the Minor Leagues. Things like the best hitter, most power, best fastball, etc. There were Phillies all over the list, including Justin Crawford being called the fastest runner, and Andrew Painter getting honorable mentions in multiple categories.

Now, a bit past the midseason point, they put out an updated list. Did the Phillies get love again? Did any new names get love? Is Justin Crawford still the fastest man in the minor leagues? Let's take a look at some of the Phillies highlights on the list.

Back in January, they labeled Crawford as the fastest man in the minor leagues. 8 months later, he still holds that title. Here is what writer Jim Callis said about Crawford's speed.

"Crawford's father Carl led the American League in steals four times in five seasons in the mid-2000s, and Justin inherited his speed. He recorded sub-6.2-second 60-yard dash times on the showcase circuit and flashes top-of-the-scale quickness in game action. He knows how to use it to beat out hits (career .312 average in two-plus pro seasons), swipe bags (93 in 114 attempts in 194 games) and cover ground in center field."

Crawford's speed is easily his best tool. He has flashed the bat as well, with an average of over .300 in two seasons. The HRs aren't there, but he makes up for it a bit with doubles and triples, keeping his SLG over .400. But his speed gives him the chance to be an electric player.

Crawford is up to 36 steals this season in 91 games. Only 3 MLB players have more steals than Crawford, and they have all played close to 30 more games than him. It helps him in the Outfield too, with many scouts projecting him to be a great fielder in the majors.

Will he hit at the next level? That remains to be seen until he gets here. Will the power ever emerge like it did with his dad? Again, we don't know yet, but scouts do think he has room to bulk up.

We know he has elite speed though. Does that mean he will be good? No, Roman Quinn had great speed, and he couldn't make it here. But his speed, in combination with his ability to put the ball in play, paints the picture of a guy who can make it in the Majors.

No other Phillies were selected as having the best tool, but a few did get mentioned. Shortstop Starlyn Caba was listed as in the running to be the best defender, coming up behind DBacks OF prospect Druw Jones. He was not an honorable mention in the original article back in January. His future with the team is uncertain, given the Phillies are kind of set at SS.

Andrew Painter was an honorable mention for Best Fastball and Best Control despite not pitching at all this season. His control got a shoutout in the original article, but his Fastball was not acknowledged then. Paul Skenes coming off the list, with him no longer being a prospect, likely opened up space for Painter to move in.

Painter is expected to be part of the Phillies next season after recovering from Tommy John surgery. Before the injury, he was regarded as perhaps the best pitching prospect in baseball. He was the 6th overall ranked prospect before last season, the highest pitcher on the list. Not pitching for over a calendar year has him down to 34 now, and down to 5th among Righty Pitchers, but he is still highly regarded and expected to be a future Ace.

One guy no longer mentioned is Mick Abel. Before the season Jim Callis made him an honorable mention for Best Curveball. But after what has been a terrible season in AAA, he is off the article, and also out of the Top 100 Prospects altogether. Scouts loved his stuff since the Phillies drafted him, but he is 23 and still has not turned that stuff into production.

There were no mentions of Aidan Miller who is the Phillies highest ranked prospect. His move to High A is not off to the best of starts, with a slash line of .229/.330/.380/.710 over 46 games. A prospect struggling to transition to a new level right away is not unheard of. Scouts are still very high on his ability, hence him coming in at 29 on the most recent top 100.

The Phillies have some nice prospects. Andrew Painter, Aidan Miller, and Justin Crawford in particular stand out. The team held onto all 3 of them at the deadline, with reports being those 3 were called untouchable. They seem to be a big part of the Phillies' future plans, and we know at least two of them have elite tools getting noticed around the league.

Citizens Bank Park hosted one of its most memorable series of the 2024 season. Phillies Alumni Weekend attracted fans of all ages to see former president and CEO David Montgomery posthumously join the Wall of Fame.

Related Content: Citizens Bank Park: The Place To Be In Philadelphia

The legends from different eras attended the weekend festivities during a series against the Washington Nationals. Hall of Famers Mike Schmidt and Steve Carlton highlighted the star-studded list of champions from the franchise’s first World Series in 1980.

Carlos Ruiz and Brad Lidge kicked off the celebrations on Friday night before most of their former teammates got to the ballpark for their appearances.

Ballpark regulars like Larry Bowa, Charlie Manuel, and John Kruk also got a rise out of the crowd, as always.

The 20th anniversary of Citizens Bank Park’s inaugural season provided the perfect opportunity to honor David Montgomery. Sunday’s pregame ceremony and the entire weekend flawlessly highlighted the legacy of a proud organization.

The weekend started with a bang. Carlos Ruiz received a special gift from the Phillies organization, home plate from Wrigley Field on the day in 2015 when he became the second catcher in MLB history to catch four no-hitters.

Ruiz reversed roles with 2008 World Series teammate Brad Lidge on the ceremonial first pitch on Friday night. Lidge joked about returning the favor to his former battery mate.

The Panamanian backstop played 1069 regular-season games in 11 seasons with the Phillies from 2006-2016. Señor Octubre also caught 46 playoff games for some of the best teams in franchise history.

97.5 The Fanatic Instagram: Carlos Ruiz Throws Ceremonial First Pitch To Brad Lidge

Former Phillies President and CEO David Montgomery joined the Phillies Wall of Fame posthumously on Saturday night.

Montgomery spent 48 years in various roles within the organization, rising into the executive ranks during the 1990s. He passed away in 2019 after a five-year battle with cancer.

His wife Lyn Montgomery and his daughter Susa McFall attended the festivities on David’s behalf.

The Phillies alumni in attendance lauded Montgomery for the family atmosphere he created within the organization. The Roxborough native built a reputation for his inclusion of all ballpark staff, from star outfielders to security guards and from starting pitchers to elevator attendants.

Mike Schmidt spoke about Montgomery after the Wall of Fame ceremony.

Phillies fans stepping through the gates at Citizens Bank Park enter David Montgomery’s living legacy. His vision to move the team from Veterans Stadium led to a new era in franchise history.

He’s credited with a unique ballpark dimension that now bears his name. The left-center field wall at Citizens Bank Park has produced some crazy bounces over the years.

None were more memorable than J.T. Realmuto’s inside-the-park home run in Game 4 of the NLDS in 2022.

Former Phillies center fielder and fellow Penn graduate Doug Glanville unveiled the new name.

The Phillies asked three alumni to change the bases after the third inning on Saturday as part of Wall of Fame Night. It felt fitting that Jim Thome took first and Juan Samuel took second.

Manny Trillo played along and took third base, where he shifted at some points during his career although he played second for the 1980 World Champions. Nice touch.

The Phillies treated fans with an up close and personal look at the existing Wall of Fame inductees.

The franchise legends processed through the left field gate at Citizens Bank Park just steps shy of Ashburn Alley in front of a screaming audience about two hours before Cristopher Sanchez threw the first pitch on Saturday.

Fans who arrived early saw legends of all different eras. Mike Schmidt, Steve Carlton, and Greg Luzinski were among the stars who lit up the eyes of the older generation who watched the World Series in 1980.

Jim Thome and Bobby Abreu provided a trip down memory lane to the earliest years of Citizens Bank Park.

Charlie Manuel and Pat Gillick brought the entire crowd back to the Golden Era of Phillies baseball from 2007-2011.

97.5 The Fanatic Instagram: Legends Process Into Citizens Bank Park

The organization wrapped up the weekend festivities with a pregame ceremony on Sunday. All alumni in attendance marched out of the dugout on a memorable afternoon at Citizens Bank Park.

PhanaVision showed some of the career highlights of players who have made an impact on the long history of the Phillies, the longest single-name, single-city franchise in North American professional sports.

The Phillies didn’t forget there was a series to play. They had hit their low point of the 2024 season after a 5-0 embarrassment against the Miami Marlins on the first game of the homestand on Tuesday.

They’ve recovered nicely by salvaging the split against the Fish and pounding the inferior Nationals in a commanding weekend series win that made the franchise legends proud.

Zack Wheeler, Aaron Nola, and Cristopher Sanchez regained the form that helped the Phillies off to a hot start to gain control of the National League East. A loss on Sunday snapped a four-game winning streak, but they’ll hit the road now to face stronger opponents in the Atlanta Braves and the Kansas City Royals.  

Circa 1980: Mike Schmidt, Steve Carlton, Greg Luzinski, Larry Bowa, Bob Boone, Bob Wine, Manny Trillo, Juan Samuel, Ron Reed, Dickie Noles, Gary Matthews, Garry Maddox, Steve Jeltz, Greg Gross

Circa 1993: John Kruk, Milt Thompson, Tommy Greene, Larry Andersen, Ruben Amaro Jr., Kevin Stocker, Jeff Manto

Circa 2004 Jim Thome, Bobby Abreu, Mike Lieberthal, Brandon Duckworth

Circa 2008: Jimmy Rollins, Ryan Howard, Carlos Ruiz, Charlie Manuel, Pat Gillick, Brad Lidge, Jamie Moyer, Joe Blanton, Ryan Madson, Aaron Rowand, Erik Kratz, Kevin Frandsen

Local Alumni: Mark Leiter Sr., Greg Legg, Art Mahaffey, Ramon Henderson, Terry Harmon, Gene Garber, Doug Clemens, John Briggs, Howie Bedell