Feb 25, 2025; Port Charlotte, Florida, USA; Philadelphia Phillies outfielder Justin Crawford (80) breaks his bat as he reaches on a fielders choice against the Tampa Bay Rays during the fourth inning at Charlotte Sports Park. Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images

Phillies Outfield Prospect Having Stellar Season Amid Pitching Excitement

Originally posted on Philadelphia Phillies on SI
By Anders Pryor | Last updated May 22, 2025 11:00 AM ET

Mick Abel's record-tying debut took the Philadelphia Phillies' news cycle by storm on Sunday, tying Curt Simmons for the most strikeouts in a debut in franchise history with nine.

Andrew Painter is off to an outstanding start in Triple-A Lehigh Valley with a 3.62 ERA and 1.14 WHIP in 19.1 innings of work. He remains the second-highest ranked pitching prospect in all of baseball behind Pittsburgh Pirates prospect Bubba Chandler.

But what's hidden under all the pitching headlines is one of the Phillies' top hitting prospect having an outstanding season in Lehigh Valley.

Justin Crawford is the No. 3-ranked prospect in the Philadelphia farm system and its second-ranked position player behind shortstop Aidan Miller. Crawford is the No. 56-ranked prospect in all of baseball on the MiLB Top 100 list — he was a Phillies' 17th-overall selection in the first round of the 2022 MLB Draft.

Crawford, 21, is slashing .318/.378/.418 with 10 doubles and 14 stolen bases. It would be his third straight season batting over .300, his highest average coming in 2023 at .332. His biggest strength is his speed, clocking a 75 grade tool on the 20-80 grading scale, the second highest mark you can receive.

Crawford's ETA is 2026 with a clear pathway. Max Kepler is on a one-year, $10 million contract with Philadelphia. His batting average is .229, and he has an OPS of .704. They're solid numbers, but it doesn't seem like he'll be maintained as long-term infrastructure with the team. So, there'll be a hole in the outfield to fill.

The Phillies rank 11th in stolen bases according to FanGraphs, indicating that it is clearly a strong part of Rob Thompson and the team's offensive identity. Crawford could fit into that right away, even if the barrel of his bat might take some work to develop.

But if Kepler were to struggle or get injured, Crawford could be called up as early as this season.

This article first appeared on Philadelphia Phillies on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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