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J.P. Crawford

Born: 01/11/1995 (Age: 19)
Bats: Left Throws: Right
Height: 6' 2" Weight: 199
Primary Position: SS
Physical/Health
Very lean build; athletic and lanky; room to add strength; projection left, but could be tricky; long legs; lower-half is ahead of the upper body when it comes to maturity; no major injury history.
Evaluator Chris King
Report Date 07/06/2014
Dates Seen 6/23/14, 7/1-7/2/2014
Affiliate Clearwater Threshers (High A, Phillies)
MLB ETA Risk Factor OFP Video
2016 High 60 No
Tool Future Grade Report
Hit 60 Slightly open stance; high hands; fairly quiet pre-swing; bat to ball orientated swing; advanced approach; 2 strike approach is very mature; pitch recognition skills are evident; willing and able to use the entire field; shifts weight early at times and rolls over on front foot; bat speed is there; nice hands allows for sound bat control; contact getting louder.
Power 40 Current gap to gap pop; flashed in-game power to pull side only; swing is built for contact and line drives; not a lot of lift and lacks backspin to help the ball carry; don't see a future average grade in this department.
Baserunning/Speed 60 First step out of the box can be slow; once he gets going he's a plus runner; long and effortless strides; home-to-first times in the 4.1-4.2 range; not a blazer, but effective speed with solid instincts on the bases and in the field.
Glove 65 Silky smooth hands and actions; very polished glove for his age; ranges well to both sides; very comfortable with the backhand; transfers are quick on either end of a double-play; quick, soft hands; overall actions are crisp and fluid; Easy plus glove that will stick at current position.
Arm 60 Currently above-average, but fringe-plus; can make any throw with accuracy; has a pretty quick release and gets nice carry on throws; release gets sloppy when rushed; maintains accuracy when moving in or on the run to either side.
Overall

Crawford is one of the most defensively polished players I've seen come through the GCL and FSL. He's a no doubt future big league short stop with an offensive game that won't put eye popping numbers, but will be playable at the top of a lineup. With positive makeup and a strong work ethic, Crawford should steadily show improvements in all phases of his game. There are legitimate questions about his bat in the future, so risks remain high as he's yet to be tested by the polished pitching that players don't encounter until the Double-A level. Even with those concerns not yet being answered, Crawford shows a high baseball IQ with instincts that will help his tools play up as he advances. Defense will always be his calling card, but with his contact based approach, he should be able to hit for good average. Couple that with his glove and you have yourself a nice big league player that plays a premium position at a high level. That's a combination that can make you live with the lack of power.

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