Phillies top prospect lights up Spring Breakout with blinding speed

Friday marked the second annual MLB Spring Breakout game for Philadelphia Phillies prospects. Playing at home in Clearwater, plenty of familiar prospect names helped the Phillies beat the visiting Pittsburgh Pirates prospects in front of 6,347 fans at BayCare Ballpark by a 5-3 score.

While the winning Phillies side received sparkling defensive contributions from shortstop Aidan Miller (Phillies' No. 2 prospect), key hits from infielders Aroon Escobar (No. 13) and Carson DeMartini (No. 15), strong pitching performances from the likes of Moisés Chace (No. 5) and Jean Cabrera (No. 11), it was No. 3 prospect outfielder Justin Crawford who wowed us with his blazing speed.

No. 3 prospect Justin Crawford's elite speed helps Phillies win Spring Breakout

Crawford demonstrated exactly why his 75-grade speed can be a game-changer in his second plate appearance in the third inning. He bounced a high chopper to third base, flying down the line and giving Pirates' No. 11 prospect Jack Brannigan zero chance of throwing him out at first.

From there, he dropped some jaws with his elite speed, stealing second base with 30.7 ft/s spring speed. That's elite in the majors (Bobby Witt Jr. topped MLB at 30.5 ft/s in 2024), never mind the minor leagues. As you can see, the Pirates didn't have a shot at catching him:

While Crawford's speed isn't a secret — he has stolen 89 bases over the last two seasons — his detractors aren't buying into his power. Thanks to high-ground ball rates, some prospect evaluators have been hesitant to elevate him as favorably as MLB Pipeline.

Crawford gave his doubters something to chew on in the fifth inning. He launched a ball off the left-center field wall, easily legging out a standup triple in 12.4 seconds. The ball left his bat a 96.5 mph (technically a "hard-hit" ball) at a 27-degree launch angle, traveling 368 feet.

Those are the kind of hits the Phillies' player development staff has been working to get more of from Crawford. Still just 21 years old, he has time to figure it out, although Phillies manager Rob Thomson seemed impressed with what he saw from the youngster during his time in major league camp this spring. Crawford slashed .300/.417/.300 with four runs scored and a pair of steals in 12 Grapefruit League plate appearances before being sent to minor league camp.

He finished the Spring Breakout game 2-for-4, with a run scored and his easily stolen base.

The Phillies don't seem in a hurry to rush him to the big leagues, saying publicly that he, like Miller, isn't in the team's plans this season. But if he continues to impress as he moves up the farm system, there's a very real chance he'll be bringing his speed to Citizens Bank Park in 2026.

More Phillies news from That Ball's Outta Here