We all know that the Philadelphia Phillies’ offseason hasn’t been the huge success that we were all hoping for, at least from the fans' perspective. From the front office's perspective, however, they retained the two veterans, Kyle Schwarber and J.T. Realmuto, they said right from the beginning they wanted to re-sign.
Missing out on Bo Bichette still stings, and we’ll feel it every time the Phillies face the New York Mets this year. But Bichette wouldn't have helped the Phillies' weakest spot on the diamond, so if there’s one player who stands to benefit from the Phillies offseason, it has to be outfield prospect Justin Crawford.
The Phillies' No. 3 MLB Pipeline prospect has a stranglehold on an Opening Day job in center field. From everything the Phillies have said, it’s Crawford’s spot to lose.
Phillies' unwillingness to spend on outfield help is handing top prospect Justin Crawford a gigantic opportunity
The Phillies could have easily gone out and re-signed Harrison Bader, who would have commanded the center field role. Instead, they didn’t wait out his market long enough and jumped at the chance to sign Adolis García in December to a one-year, $10 million contract to play right field. This after the 32-year-old slugger was designated for assignment by the Texas Rangers.
With García in right and Brandon Marsh with a yet-to-be-determined platoon partner in left (likely Otto Kemp), Crawford will be trusted to show that he has the chops to play MLB-level defense in center at Citizens Bank Park this year. Yet to be added to the 40-man roster, the 22-year-old will be one of the most intriguing non-roster invitees to watch this spring training.
The Phillies and manager Rob Thomson made it clear right from the outset that García's addition wouldn't affect Crawford, as recently reported by Cory Nidoh of Philly Sports Network.
"When we signed Adolis García, I called [Crawford] just to tell him, 'This doesn't affect you at all. You need to come in there and you need to fight for a spot and have a feeling like you're a big leaguer. Come in here, relax, be yourself, play your game. Don't try to do something you're not,'" Thomson said.
Rob Thomson said he called Justin Crawford after the team signed Adolis Garcia and told Crawford the move wouldn’t affect him at all.
— Cory Nidoh (@Cory_Nidoh) January 23, 2026
Told Crawford - “You need to come in here and fight for a spot and have the feeling you’re a big leaguer.”
Said Crawford needs to play his… pic.twitter.com/Ry34VtCgzj
As for his bat, Crawford has shown that he can hit at every level of the minors. He capped off his third full professional season by winning the International League batting title hitting .334 in Triple-A Lehigh Valley last year.
The biggest question about his offense is whether he can elevate the ball enough. He hit seven home runs last season, although it appears a late-season adjustment might have unlocked something for him. Four of his seven long balls came within a 20-game span before his season ended early on Sept. 4.
Whether Crawford manages to keep the ball off the ground and lower a ground ball rate that has routinely sat around 60 percent, there’s no doubting his speed that can put pressure on defenses. He stole 46 bases in 2025 and was just ranked as the fastest Top 100 prospect by MLB Pipeline. He also added 23 doubles and four triples in 112 games with the IronPigs.
"He's going get some home runs at some point, but maybe not right yet," Thomson said about his expectations for Crawford. "We want him to get on base, steal bases, bunt, do all the little things that he normally does. If he does that, he's going to really help the ball club."
After waiting for so long to see one of the Phillies’ top prospects finally get a shot in the majors, fans will get to see Crawford get his chance this year. Let's hope he takes advantage of the team's decision and makes the front office look like geniuses.