Entering 2025, the Philadelphia Phillies had high hopes for top prospects Andrew Painter, Aidan Miller, Justin Crawford and Eduardo Tait. Painter has yet to regain his pre-Tommy John dominance on the mound, Miller struggled to adjust at the Double-A level and Tait was sent to the Minnesota Twins along with Mick Abel in the Jhoan Duran trade.
One prospect isn’t like the others, and that’s Crawford. The Phillies’ No. 3 prospect, per MLB Pipeline, has had an incredible season at Triple-A, but the organization is hesitant to bring him up to the big leagues.
Justin Crawford understands Phillies’ approach but ready to go when needed
Crawford wasn’t a perfect prospect coming out of high school, but he’s always had a knack for getting base hits. Since the Phillies drafted him 17th overall in 2022, Crawford owns a career .322 batting average across five levels of the minor leagues.
After being named to the 2024 Futures Game and getting promoted from High-A to Double-A midseason, Crawford hit .333 in 40 games with the Fightin Phils. The Phillies saw enough and promoted him to Triple-A to start the 2025 season.
Crawford has fared well in his first full season at Triple-A. The 21-year-old is slashing .334/.411/.452 with an .863 OPS, 34 extra-base hits, 47 RBI and 46 stolen bases.
Despite tearing it up at the plate with the IronPigs, the Phillies continue to keep Crawford stashed in the minors.
“I’m going to keep doing what I can do right here and just keep showing them that I am ready to be up there,” Crawford said about his situation within the Phillies’ organization (subscription required), per The Athletic’s Charlotte Varnes.
“I’m going to keep doing what I can do right here and just keep showing them that I am ready to be up there.”
— Charlotte Varnes (@charlottevarnes) September 3, 2025
It’s September 3, and Justin Crawford is still chipping away in Triple-A. What he’s learning: https://t.co/hZXZ9j5tE8
Phillies fans have been begging for the organization to promote Crawford all year long, and Crawford himself has continuously expressed his desire to get the call. The Phillies don’t want to promote him to the majors if he’s not going to play every day, and there’s simply not enough playing time in the outfield, especially after acquiring Harrison Bader at the trade deadline.
One of the main aspects holding Crawford back from his inevitable MLB debut is his lack of power. He has just 19 career home runs, including only seven in 2025.
“I’m not going to dwell on something that isn’t necessarily in my game right now,” Crawford said about his lack of power. “As the years have gone on, I’ve gotten stronger and, as time goes on, obviously I’ll get stronger. It’s not like I’m going to stay 185 pounds, 188 pounds until I’m 25.”
Not every player is a home run hitter, but there’s plenty of time to develop power as a young prospect like Crawford. He may not get an opportunity in 2025, but Crawford could make his highly anticipated MLB debut with the Phillies as soon as 2026 Opening Day.