Philadelphia Phillies Prospect Has Best Tool of Any Prospect in Baseball

The Philadelphia Phillies prospect is expected to make a contribution in the near future.

Jul 8, 2023; Seattle, Washington, USA; National League Futures designated hitter Justin Crawford (13) of the Philadelphia Phillies hits an RBI sacrifice fly against the American League during the second inning of the All Star-Futures game at T-Mobile Park. / Steven Bisig-USA TODAY Sports

The Philadelphia Phillies are in one of the best positions around baseball for the immediate future and the long term. With arguably the most talented roster in Major League Baseball, as well as a loaded farm system, the Phillies should find success over much of the next decade.

They have most of their core locked up over the next few years, making it tough for some of their prospects to make an impact. However, some of them are so good that they'll have to figure out how to do so.

Of those players is Justin Crawford. Crawford is regarded as one of the top prospects in the minor leagues, and while he's only 20 years old, there are signs that he'll become a high-level player at the big league level one day.

It might not be next season, but who knows? Things change, and he has the talent to possibly get an opportunity. As a hitter, he's slashing .304/.350/.436 in 381 at-bats in 2024 between A+ and AA.

However, his run tool might be the best out of any prospect in baseball, according to Jim Callis of MLB.com. Callis looked at the top tools for prospects around the game, listing Crawford as the prospect with the best run tool.

"Crawford's father Carl led the American League in steals four times in five seasons in the mid-2000s, and Justin inherited his speed. He recorded sub-6.2-second 60-yard dash times on the showcase circuit and flashes top-of-the-scale quickness in game action. 

"He knows how to use it to beat out hits (career .312 average in two-plus pro seasons), swipe bags (93 in 114 attempts in 194 games) and cover ground in center field."

Being an elite runner is part of why he finds the type of success he does. It's also a major advantage for him, considering he can do plenty on the field. Not only can he hit and run at a high level, but because of how he moves, he also plays a good outfield.

If Philadelphia does have one area where they could allow a prospect to come up and show that they belong, it's in the outfield.

That doesn't mean they won't try to add somebody in the offseason due to the position they're in, but if they want to spend money elsewhere, Crawford could be a sneaky addition to help the team as early as next year.