That Balls Outta Here
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Phillies: 5 players they just missed in the MLB Draft

By George Rider

SECAUCUS, NJ - JUNE 06: New York Yankees draftee Aaron Judge (R) poses for a photograph with Major League Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig at the 2013 MLB First-Year Player Draft at the MLB Network on June 6, 2013 in Secaucus, New Jersey. (Photo by Jeff Zelevansky/Getty Images)
SECAUCUS, NJ - JUNE 06: New York Yankees draftee Aaron Judge (R) poses for a photograph with Major League Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig at the 2013 MLB First-Year Player Draft at the MLB Network on June 6, 2013 in Secaucus, New Jersey. (Photo by Jeff Zelevansky/Getty Images) /
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NEW YORK, NEW YORK – OCTOBER 15: Aaron Judge #99 of the New York Yankees hits a single during the first inning against the Houston Astros in game three of the American League Championship Series at Yankee Stadium on October 15, 2019 in New York City. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – OCTOBER 15: Aaron Judge #99 of the New York Yankees hits a single during the first inning against the Houston Astros in game three of the American League Championship Series at Yankee Stadium on October 15, 2019 in New York City. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images) /

2013 MLB Draft: Aaron Judge 

For a while, Philadelphia’s 2016 first round pick looked like it could pan out. With the 16th pick they took SS J.P. Crawford out of Lakewood High School in California. Many thought Crawford would be the future of Philadelphia’s middle infield because he could do it all.

Crawford could hit for average, had above average fielding and was fast, it felt like he had all the tools to be a consistent MLB player in the future.

In 2016, J.P. was ranked fifth on MLB Pipelines’ top 100 prospects list. After splitting time Between AA and AAA he slashed .250/.349/.339 with 7 home runs and 12 stolen bases. The next year he was ranked seventh on MLB Pipeline.

Crawford got a taste of MLB action in 2017, he played in 127 AAA games and 23 MLB games. Before his call-up, J.P was slashing .243/.351/.405 then in 23 games with the Phillies he slashed .243/.351/.405. Things got shaky for him after this year.

J.P. played in 49 games for the Phillies in 2019 and slashed .214/.319/.393 with 3 home runs. 2 months after baseball was over, J.P was dealt to Seattle in a trade involving Jean Segura coming to Philly. In 93 games in 2019 with Seattle last season Crawford hit .226/.313/.371.

Philadelphia Phillies
Philadelphia Phillies /

Philadelphia Phillies

The New York Yankees got a steal at pick 32 as they selected 6’7″ OF Aaron Judge out of California State University. In his four minor league seasons, he was a consistent hitter, he slashed .276/.371/.471 with 57 home runs.

He only played 27 games for the Yankees in 2016, but the following season he was a fan favorite in New York. Aaron Judge preceded to hit 52 home runs in 2017, second in the league behind Giancarlo Stanton’s 57.

Judge hit five fewer home runs in his first full major league season than he did in his four year minor league career. He did that while slashing .284/.422/.627 and driving in 114 RBIs. He won Rookie of the Year that season and finished 2nd in MVP behind Jose Altuve.

Judge hasn’t stopped since. He’s a career .273/.394/.558 hitter with a WAR of 19.1. The only problem with Judge is the past two seasons he’s played 112 and 102 games, and before this season was supposed to begin he was diagnosed with a stress fracture in his rib.

If Aaron Judge can stay on the field he has the potential to be a consistent superstar. It’s fair to say the Yankees made out better in this draft than the Phils.

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