Tyler Trumbauer
On Wednesday, Baseball America released a ranking of the top 10 prospects currently in the Phillies organization and there wasn’t a surprise at the top spot. Leading all prospects in the Phils’ farm system is shortstop J.P. Crawford, who has been the number one player in the minors for the Phillies for the last three years.
Here is Baseball America’s scouting report on Crawford, who played in Triple-A Lehigh Valley for most of 2016.
Crawford’s best offensive asset is his plate discipline. He has nearly as many walks as strikeouts in his career and shows a keen eye at the plate by recognizing offspeed pitches and rarely expanding the strike zone. Even as he went through growing pains upon reaching Triple-A, his strike-zone judgment remained intact. Crawford is a high-contact hitter with an efficient, compact swing from the left side, which combined with his plate discipline gives him a chance to be a high on-base threat at the top of a lineup. When he struggled, he had a habit of stepping in the bucket and leaking open early with his hips, creating a longer path to the ball. His ability to keep his hands back and control the bat head still allowed him to make contact, however. When his swing is in sync, Crawford stays inside the ball well, with a chance to be an above-average hitter. Getting stronger will be critical for him because his power is mostly to the gaps, with the occasional home run to the pull side. His power hasn’t developed as quickly as some expected, but between his bat speed and room to fill out his frame, he could develop average pop. In the field, Crawford shows plus defense, a mixture of athleticism, actions and instincts. With average speed, he isn’t a burner, but he has a quick first step and reads the ball well off the bat, providing him with plenty of range. He’s a fluid defender who can make plays to either side with his plus arm, which plays up because of his fast hands and quick transfer.
Here is the full top-1o list for the Phillies organization.
1. J.P. Crawford, SS
2. Mickey Moniak, OF
3. Jorge Alfaro, C
4. Nick Williams, OF
5. Sixto Sanchez, RHP
6. Rhys Hoskins, 1B
7. Franklyn Kilome, RHP
8. Roman Quinn, OF
9. Scott Kingery, 2B
10. Dylan Cozens, OF
Baseball America forecasts the the future is near for the Phillies, but these prospects are a bit to far away yet from making a noticeable impact in 2017 to push the Phillies back into the playoffs.