It's been quite an exciting couple of weeks for Philadelphia Phillies No. 3 prospect Justin Crawford. The 20-year-old first pick of the Phillies in the 2022 MLB Draft has been rewarded not once but twice this month for his stellar play this season as a member of the Class-A Jersey Shore BlueClaws.
For those of you needing a refresher on the talented speedster's numbers during his time playing for the BlueClaws, Crawford hit .301 with 88 hits, six home runs, 35 RBI and an impressive 27 stolen bases. A stat line like that is sure to garner some attention, and it wasn't a surprise to see Crawford selected to represent the Phillies organization, along with teammate Aidan Miller, in MLB's Future's Game held over All-Star weekend.
Appearing in his second consecutive Future's Game, Crawford impressed by going 1-for-3 at the plate while making a couple of sensational catches in left field for the NL squad. Ahead of his trip to Texas for All-Star weekend, the Phillies announced that Crawford would be promoted to Double-A Reading for the second half of the minor league season.
Would Double-A present any challenges for the talented top prospect?
Justin Crawford dazzles in Double-A debut after recent promotion
Crawford didn't waste any time getting acclimated to Double-A pitching when he made his debut for the Reading Fightin Phils on Friday night against Portland. Crawford was a menace in this one, going 3-for-4 with a single, two doubles, a walk and adding his first stolen base for good measure. He also showed off his strong skills as a defender, recording a pair of outs on two highlight-worthy catches while patrolling center field.
Justin Crawford showed off all his tools in his Double-A debut with the Fightin' Phils 👀
— Phillies Player Development (@PhilsPlayerDev) July 20, 2024
The No. 3 @Phillies / No. 55 @MLBPipeline prospect had 3 hits, including 2 doubles, a stolen base and 2 impressive catches! pic.twitter.com/qmao9LRGxh
Crawford came back to Earth a little but in his second game with Reading, going 0-for-4 while drawing a walk and stealing his second base. There are sure to be some adjustments along the way, but considering he's only two years removed from being drafted out of high school, it's a promising sign that Crawford has succeeded at every stop and has met every challenge during his brief time playing professional baseball.
Now only two stops away from being an MLB player like his father, former four-time All-Star Carl Crawford, it will be interesting to see how the younger Crawford handles more advanced pitching at the upper minor league levels.
It will be even more curious how Crawford fits into the Phillies' future plans, as trade deadline chatter is reaching a peak, and future playing opportunities seem to contain a couple of potential roadblocks. Either way, the future looks bright for Crawford and the Phillies farm system.