Phillies Top Prospect Expected To Be Breakout Player in Second Half

With the Philadelphia Phillies coming out of the All-Star break, there is going to be a lot of discussion about how to improve the team.

The Phillies figure to be one of the more aggressive teams at the upcoming trade deadline with two pressing needs.

Philadelphia has leaned heavily on their starting rotation this year, but if they are going to be a World Series contender, they have to shore up some other areas.

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Two of the main reasons why they were eliminated by the New York Mets in the NLDS was because of the lack of offensive production from their outfield and their bullpen.

Those are still the main two issues with the team, with the moves made in the offseason not working out. Now, president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski will have to try and fix these issues once again to try and maximize the amazing rotation that they have put together.

Joel Reuter of Bleacher Report recently wrote about top prospect Justin Crawford potentially being the player that breaks out for the team in the second half.

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“Center field has been a revolving door for the Phillies for years, and while Brandon Marsh has done an admirable job filling the void, his defensive metrics (-9 DRS) suggest he belongs back in left field," he wrote.

With Philadelphia having a couple of pressing needs, they figure to be a very aggressive team at the deadline.

If they are going to fix some of the roster issues, that will likely come in the form of trading some of the top prospects. While adding a shutdown closer feels like a must, improving the outfield should also be a top priority.

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However, they may try to do that internally by promoting the talented Crawford to the Majors.

The former first-round pick has been excellent in Triple-A this campaign for Philadelphia, slashing .328/.406/.428 with 29 stolen bases. While by no means is he a power hitter, the slugging percentage being over .400 as of now is a strong number.

Calling up Crawford could be exactly what the team needs in the outfield and perhaps in the lineup as well.

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The 21-year-old would provide them with a high on-base player who can put pressure on a defense with his speed. Coupling him with some of the power hitters on the team would make the unit look much improved if he performs like he has in the minors.

While Crawford might be one of the players on the trade market for the Phillies, he could also be an upgrade for them in the outfield.

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