J.P. Crawford, Phillies Top Prospect, Getting Hot in Lehigh Valley
Phillies top prospect J.P. Crawford is finally getting into the swing of things down in Lehigh Valley
J.P. Crawford has been known to struggle when advancing to the next level of competition throughout his career. In his first 20 games since being called up to Triple-A Lehigh Valley, the shortstop was hitting .160 with 19 hits and an on-base percentage of .273.
Certainly not the kind of numbers the Phillies are looking for out of the fourth rated prospect in all of baseball.
However, over the past 17 games, Crawford’s game has risen in-sync with the heat of summer. A six-game hitting streak in mid-June helped him build some confidence and raised his batting average to .229.
While .229 is not an impressive stat, the 21-year-old (which makes him the youngest player in the International League) has shown the improvement expected of him after an expectedly slow start.
Over the past 10 games with Lehigh Valley, Crawford is hitting an impressive .308 thanks to five multi-hit games. He also managed four walks, and stole two bases during that span of games, which included seven games on the road.
The important thing for a developing Crawford is to build up his confidence and continue to prove he is one of the best prospects across the minor league farm systems.
Philadelphia’s shortstop of the future will have the opportunity to face some former big league starters, including Chris Volstad and Phil Coke.
Prior to being called up to Lehigh Valley, J.P. Crawford was hitting .265 with 36 hits in as many games for the Reading Fightin’ Phils. He had 30 walks with Reading, and only 21 strikeouts, putting his on-base percentage at .398 to start the season.
The Iron Pigs are 46-35 and sit just three games out of first place in the International League North standings. They have won 6 of their last 10 games, partially thanks to Crawford’s hot streak.
Next: Phillies Prospect Matt Imhof Loses Right Eye in Freak Accident