3 Phillies prospects that should be untouchable at the MLB trade deadline

Justin Crawford

Finally, there’s the son of former MLB All-Star Carl Crawford in Justin Crawford. Crawford also happened to be taken by the Phillies in the first round, this time from last year’s MLB Draft, and again out of high school from Bishop Gorman HS, Nevada. So the Phillies appear to like the high-risk, high-rewards prep prospects in the past few years, and so far, it appears their gambles are paying off. If Crawford is anything close to what his dad produced during his MLB career, then the Phillies have a great one on their hands.

With the perfect mix of hitting, fielding instincts, athleticism, speed, and some developing power, Crawford has the potential of being a star five-tool player for the Phillies, something that hasn’t come too often for the ballclub. His calling card is definitely his speed, tormenting the basepaths while covering plenty of ground in the field as well. In particular, he has been having a breakout season this year with the Phillies Single-A affiliate Clearwater Threshers, posting a strong .335 batting average, .830 OPS, with 41 runs scored, 10 doubles, six triples, one home run, 40 RBI, and 36 stolen bases in just 55 games played. The home run power is believed to eventually come as he fills out his body and muscles as the young 19-year-old continues his development.

With the possibility of Crawford even surpassing his dad in terms of potential impact and success in the future in MLB, he is definitely a can’t miss positional prospect the Phillies should avoid at all costs to include in any potential trade packages. With Painter potentially on the shelf for the coming year, along with Abel just starting to round into form, look for many teams to do anything they can to try and pry Crawford away from the Phillies, and the Phillies should resist as much as possible, unless of course, if the deal ends up to be really Shohei Ohtani, then what the hey. Otherwise, Crawford is here to stay and for a long time.