Justin Crawford's struggles against left-handed pitching this year are a well-known issue, feeding into a larger, fatal flaw of the Philadelphia Phillies' roster as a whole (and one that has only been intensified following Adolis Garcia's injury).
Still, considering the rookie outfielder hit southpaws to the tune of a .376/.411/.518 batting line in Triple-A last year, most have hoped that he'd eventually turn things around. Even though he's sat against lefty starters a good number of times this year, it hasn't been unreasonable to put faith in his track record.
Well, for anyone still holding onto that faith, don't watch this at-bat.
Keith: "Does his bat look extra long?"
— SNY (@SNYtv) June 18, 2026
Ron: "Considering that last breaking ball, maybe not long enough" pic.twitter.com/mU9vaEFYs7
Facing Sean Manaea of the New York Mets — a veteran pitcher who has held left-handed batters to a mere .218 batting average throughout his career — Crawford looked absolutely helpless at the plate. A swinging-bunt attempt on an up-and-in sinker completely took him out of his rhythm, and two low-and-away sweepers later in the count finished him off without any resistance.
Following that game against the Mets, Crawford now has a .384 OPS against southpaws in 2026. In case it wasn't already glaringly obvious, the Phillies need to address this weakness pronto.
Justin Crawford's struggles have exacerbated a huge Phillies problem in the outfield
If you've read this far, odds are you already know how bad the Phillies are against left-handed pitching. They rank 26th in the league in wRC+ (87) and OPS (.672) when facing those arms, and their collective batting average of .220 is one of the four-worst marks in baseball.
You've likely also noticed that their collection of outfielders haven't exactly torn the cover off the ball. Pretty much every metric, from wRC+ (78, 30th) to OPS (.651, 29th) to batting average (.236, 21st), suggests this one of the most talent-deficient groups in the league.
Put those two groups together, though, and you're in for a doozy. Collectively against left-handed pitching this year, Phillies outfielders were posting a 74 wRC+ (24th), .633 OPS (24th), and .215 average (25th) heading into Saturday night's drubbing of the Mets. That's plainly unacceptable for a team with aspirations of a deep playoff run.
Naturally, the organization can be found in nearly any rumor that mentions a right-handed hitting outfielder. Jo Adell, Seiya Suzuki, Byron Buxton, and even Mike Trout have all been connected to Philly over the past few weeks.
Obviously, Garcia's injury only hastened the need for help in this regard, but Crawford's own struggles at the plate have really set the team back. With all of his minor-league options remaining, it wouldn't be terribly shocking to see the Phillies give their talented rookie a chance to reset in Triple-A if they can acquire a few outfielders on the trade market.
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