Can Justin Crawford Be The Big Addition The Phillies Need?

Much to the disappointment of Phillies fans, the Phillies did not make many changes to their lineup. The only players not returning as of now are Harrison Bader and Nick Castellanos. Not exactly the sweeping changes fans wanted after a 3rd straight disappointing playoff exit. But there is one change that perhaps is getting overlooked, which could make a big difference. Justin Crawford.

Drafted in the first round in 2022, Crawford is a fixture in the Phillies' top prospect list. Now he is set to be the first of the Phillies big 3 prospects (Himself, Aidan Miller, and Andrew Painter) to make his debut.

So far down in the minor leagues, Crawford slashed .322/.385/.446/.831. Perhaps more notably, he had 145 steals, including 40-plus in each of the last 3 seasons. And just 268 strikeouts in 325 games. He tends to put the ball in play, which, with his elite speed, leads to a high number of hits.

The one big concern is how often he puts the ball on the ground. Last season, he had an extremely high ground-ball rate of 69%. Ground balls tend to turn into hits at a lower rate in the MLB. Major League fielders are far more likely to get to those balls.

But someone very familiar with Justin Crawford, Iron Pigs voice Steve Degler, is very confident that Crawford can still get hits at a high clip in the MLB. He joined Unfiltered last week and had this to say about Crawford.

"I dont get too excited about too many guys... but I really like this kid... I know the knock is that he hits the ball on the ground too much, but all he does is hit. He batted .343 last year, and by the way, he hit .376 against left-handers. He plays the game hard, he is a threat to steal, and he is a threat defensively. He did end up hitting 7 HRs last year and had an .863 OPS. That's something you can build on.

He is going to get stronger. Power is the last tool to develop in these younger hitters. I think he is a really exciting player, and would bring the Phillies lineup something they don't have a whole lot of right now. He is a guy who can walk, or get a base hit, and before you know it, he is around the bases, and you are on the scoreboard."

The Phillies do need more guys who put the ball in play. That is something Crawford does, almost to a fault. The groundball rate is concerning, but on a team known for being free swingers, who strikeout too much, maybe he is the ideal counterbalance.

Part of the reason they were keen on acquiring Bo Bichette is that he puts the ball in play and hits for a high average. They could not close that deal, but maybe Crawford can be that guy for them.

Will he hit .340? Probably not. A lot more of those ground balls will turn into outs. But let's say he hits .280 and has a .320 OBP. With his speed, that is still a big plus. He will still be able to swipe a lot of bases, and will be on base at the bottom of the lineup, giving Trea Turner, Kyle Schwarber, and Bryce Harper someone to drive in.

The Phillies still need more upgrades to this lineup. But Crawford can be someone who makes a difference. No one should expect much power from him, at least not yet. But he can be a guy who gets on base, runs the bases well, and plays great defense.