Justin Crawford, No. 65 (prev. No. 77)
The third Phillies first-round draft pick to make the jump up MLB Pipeline's Top 100 prospect rankings, Justin Crawford, much like Miller has been outstanding in his short stint in professional baseball.
Son of long-time MLB veteran Carl Crawford, Justin has a lot of similar skills to his dad. Coming out of the 2022 Draft, Crawford's 75-grade speed and 60-grade fielding made his floor much higher than most. The Phillies saw a potential defensive wizard but the Las Vegas native's contact skills have been what have caused him to start gaining traction.
A nifty snag by Crawford in the outfield? Classic.
— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) May 12, 2024
The 2024 edition is @Phillies No. 4 prospect Justin Crawford making the out for the @BlueClaws. pic.twitter.com/fSGTMtCLUh
Over his 129 games in the minors, Crawford is hitting .317 with an on-base percentage of over .400. In this most recent season of 2024, the center fielder is hitting .308 with 32 hits, nine walks and 18 runs scored hitting primarily in the one or two spot in the Jersey Shore BlueClaws' order. He adds on 68 stolen bases in his career, totaling just under a stolen base for every two games played.
Already ranked as the fastest player in the minor leagues, it has been crucial for Crawford to show some development on the hitting side as he begins his trek up to the majors. With consistent contact and not much swing and miss, Crawford is able to use his elite speed to steal hits and extra bases.
In his nine games so far during May, Crawford has 13 hits with five multi-hit games, including a 4-for-4 performance against the Wilmington Blue Rocks.
He can hit, he can fly 💨
— Phillies Player Development (@PhilsPlayerDev) May 8, 2024
No. 68 MLB and No. 4 Phillies prospect Justin Crawford had a perfect 4-for-4 performance in yesterday's Jersey Shore win, including 2 home-to-first sprints at 3.84 and 3.91 seconds 🤯 pic.twitter.com/AMtfcfMjVK
The 20-year-old has a bright future ahead of him with skills that can keep him around for a long time, much like his father. His MLB pedigree, elite running and defensive skills, and a bat that could develop into a top-end leadoff hitter in the majors make him an increasingly valuable prospect, as shown by his 12-spot jump up MLB Pipeline's Top 100 list.