Justin Crawford's early spring training work reveals new weapon for Phillies offense

Everyone knows that Philadelphia Phillies prospect Justin Crawford is fast. We know he can hit. We also know that he has had a hard time elevating the ball in his professional career. But one thing that may be going overlooked is the extra dimension he'll bring to the Phillies' lineup this season with his ability to bunt and cause havoc on the bases.

Crawford is expected to make the Opening Day roster as the starting center fielder. He has nothing left to prove in the minors so the Phillies are hoping he can help the big league club this season. This spring the 22-year-old has been working, as he always has, on his bunting.

Justin Crawford bringing new dimension to Phillies' offense this season

If you've forgotten what a bunt is, Crawford will remind you this season. According to The Athletic's Matt Gelb, he had eight bunt hits (subscription required) in Triple-A last season.

The Phillies haven't done much bunting in recent years, even when they had the speedy Johan Rojas in the lineup. Of course, there was Bryson Stott's ill-fated bunt in the NLDS last fall.

As Gelb notes, Crawford loves the art of bunting and takes it as a serious part of his game. He can lay down all sorts of bunts, which he has been doing during training camp.

“I’ve been able to get pretty good at deadening the ball and kind of slowing it down,” Crawford said, per Gelb. “I’d like to get a lot better at putting it exactly where I want it. Because if I could do that, I mean, I could run backwards to first base.”

Heck, his first hit as a professional back in 2022 was a bunt single.

"I really take pride in playing the game hard and trying to play the game right …" Crawford told the Phillie Talk podcast this week. "I try to go out there and play fast. Be kind of a tone setter, try to light some fire, cause havoc for the defense any way I can to get on base to score for our team …"

Crawford hit an International League-leading .334 in 2025, with an .863 OPS and 46 steals in 112 games for the Triple-A Lehigh Valley IronPigs. He hit just seven home runs, with a late-season power surge, but has plenty of gap-to-gap power that helped him finish with 23 doubles and four triples.

While there's bound to be an adjustment period at the plate for Crawford when he starts facing MLB-level pitching, fans should expect him to make a difference in the overall offense. Having his speed at the bottom of the lineup ahead of Trea Turner, who's no slouch in the speed department, Kyle Schwarber, and Bryce Harper will give Crawford plenty of opportunities to score this season.

So, even if he's not putting the ball over the fence at Citizens Bank Park on a frequent basis, the Phillies already have plenty of firepower. Crawford's ability to bunt should still make him a valuable piece of a team with World Series aspirations.