The Philadelphia Phillies fan base was eager to see outfielder Justin Crawford make his major league debut during the 2025 regular season. The team's No. 3 prospect, according to MLB Pipeline, excelled this year with the Lehigh Valley IronPigs in Triple-A.
He was so good that Baseball America named him the Phillies' Minor League Player of the Year (subscription required), per Lochlahn March.
Crawford finished with a .334/.411/.452 line and an .863 OPS in 112 games. He had the highest batting average and the third-most stolen bases (46) in the International League this season. The 17th overall pick in the 2022 MLB Draft compiled 147 hits, the second-most in the league. His .863 OPS was the 14th-highest.
Phillies farm director Luke Murton praised Crawford's successful season.
"Justin’s combination of talent and toughness has once again shown through in his elite performance," Murton said, per March.
Phillies fans would have loved to see Justin Crawford make his MLB debut this season
Crawford looked like he was ready to be called up to the Phillies in the summer based on his performance during the first three months of the year. He had a .335/.409/.442 line at the start of July.
However, Philadelphia's front office did not grant the fan base's wish to call Crawford up to the big leagues. The addition of Harrison Bader at the trade deadline and the Phillies' puzzling decision to hold onto a struggling Max Kepler further clouded the chances of the 21-year-old debuting with the team late in the summer.
Justin Crawford went 3-for-4 with a home run in the @IronPigs win over Buffalo! ☄️ pic.twitter.com/HXIABsTucf
— Phillies Player Development (@PhilsPlayerDev) June 26, 2025
Back in May, Murton spoke with Matt Gelb of The Athletic about Crawford's competitiveness, talent and maturity (subscription required).
"He’s one of the most competitive kids we have," Murton said, per Gelb. "And one of the most talented kids we have. I think the biggest thing with him, I felt like as a group, we really trusted the person. We trusted that if it doesn’t go how he wants it to go, that he can handle it mentally. And if it does go great, then it’s icing on the cake."
Manager Rob Thomson implied at the end of August that whenever Crawford is promoted, he will play often. The response created more questions about the team's plans for him if he were to debut in September in an already crowded outfield.
Even with the roster expansion at the beginning of September, the Phillies chose to promote backup catcher Garrett Stubbs instead of Crawford. On the one hand, including the young outfielder in a positional platoon may not be the best decision for his development at the major league level. However, Crawford was the better overall player to add between the two, as Thomson would have played him more often.
Justin Crawford is your 2025 IronPigs Hitter of the Year! pic.twitter.com/oC1fRov7Er
— Lehigh Valley IronPigs (@IronPigs) September 20, 2025
IronPigs manager Anthony Contreras also described Crawford's mature approach as a key to his success this year, per Ty Daubert of Phillies Nation.
"I think for people that don’t know him that well, it could be very impressive that he’s able to keep his head on straight,” Contreras said, per Daubert. “But I’ve watched his personality, and I was telling somebody this yesterday: He has this ability to clear his head very quickly after an at-bat, after a game and understand that this is an infinite game that we play.”
If Philadelphia had promoted Crawford, the prospect's season may not have ended with an injury. He collided with Otto Kemp during an IronPigs game on Sept. 4, resulting in a concussion and broken teeth.
Fans will need to wait until spring training next February before they get a glimpse at Crawford in action again. He will have an opportunity to make his MLB debut if he makes the Opening Day roster for the 2026 season.