Philadelphia Phillies Top Prospect Finally Showing More Than Just Speed

The Philadelphia Phillies are seeing ideal offensive development from their top outfield prospect Justin Crawford.

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-Imagn Images

The Philadelphia Phillies aren't known for their farm system, but that doesn't mean they don't have future stars waiting in the wings.

Outfielder Justin Crawford was drafted with the No. 17 overall selection in the 2022 MLB draft with the promise of a lot of speed.

That attribute has translated quickly, but he's also starting to show all-around growth.

MLB prospect analysts Jonathan Mayo and Sam Dykstra recently looked through each team's farm system for one player that had a stat stand out.

For the Phillies, it was Crawford's 130 wRC+

"Crawford made it to Double-A for the first time and finished with a .313/.360/.444 line. There’s concern about how often he hits the ball on the ground but that 130 wRC+ is a sign that he’s doing more than just legging out singles. His ground-ball percentage dropped nearly 10 points from '23 and he tripled his home run total (3 in '23 to 9 in '24)," said the writers.

The wRC+ acronym stands for Weighted Runs Created Plus.

It is meant to create a value that takes external factors into account, making it easier to compare players that play in different parks and elevations.

The league average is 100 for reference, making Crawford's 130 extra impressive, especially since he hasn't been known as a power-hitter.

Philadelphia's offense combined for a 108 wRC+ last season. Crawford would rank third on the team, between Kyle Schwarber and Trea Turner, if he put up 130 at the MLB level.

The 20-year-old posted a full slash line of .313/.360/.444 between High-A and Double-A in 2024. He actually put up even better numbers after receiving the promotion around the All-Star break.

He was an extra-base machine last year, which is one of his biggest areas of growth.

He hit 25 doubles, four triples and nine home runs.

His strikeout rate dropped from 19.5% in High-A last year to just 16.1% in Double-A.

Maybe most impressive of all, are his abilities on the base paths with 99 stolen bases in 213 professional games. That kind of speed makes him a threat to score no matter how he gets on base.

Overall, it is clear that he is becoming a much improved offensive presence all around.

The Phillies could use Crawford next season in the outfield, but a 2026 debut is much more likely.

Given how fast he has risen, though, it would be foolish to rule anything out.

The outfield has been the clear weak point of the Philadelphia roster for a while now and that won't change next year. Crawford's progression will be watched closely for the near future.

There is also always a chance that the Phillies opt to trade him away in an effort to make a win-now move, but that might be a mistake given how good he already is.