Earlier this week, Philadelphia Phillies' bench-coach and wall of fame shortstop Larry Bowa suggested in an appearance on CSN Philly's Breakfast on Broad that he wouldn't be surprised if top prospect J.P. Crawford joined the team at some point this summer.
MLB Pipeline rounded out their top 10 prospects at each position countdown, and agreed with Bowa's high praise for Crawford, by naming him the second best shortstop currently playing in the minor leagues.
The Phillies drafted Crawford 16th overall in 2013, and he excelled in his professional debut, winning the Gulf Coast League batting title. He's continued to build on that success, making it to the Futures Game two years in a row and reaching Double-A at age 20.
Crawford has an impressive all-around skill set and can impact the game on both sides of the ball. There is no question about his ability to stay at shortstop, as he is a smooth fielder with sure hands, a plus arm and good range. He is a disciplined hitter with good on-base skills and the speed to steal bases.
Crawford had been viewed as Jimmy Rollins' heir apparent from the time he was drafted. With Rollins now gone, there is no major roadblock for Crawford, who may not need all that much more time until he's ready.
MLB Pipeline uses a 20-80 rating system for each aspect of rating a player's game, with 20 being the worst possible and 80 being the best. Crawford was given a 55 for hitting, a 45 for power, a 50 for running, a 60 for arm strength, a 65 for fielding and a 65 overall.
Crawford is going to be one of the top 10, if not top five, prospects when MLB Pipeline reveals their top 100 overall prospects this evening. So who topped him at the shortstop position? Corey Seager of the Dodgers, who is a 70 overall according to their rating system, was given the top spot on the list. Seager, ironically, learned behind Jimmy Rollins last season, but batted .337 in 98 at-bats and forced Rollins to the bench during the Dodgers' NLDS series.
Tim Kelly (@TimKellySports) is the Managing Editor of Philliedelphia.com, focusing on news and features.
