July 17, 2022
With the 17th-overall pick in the first round of the 2022 MLB Draft, the Phillies selected centerfielder Justin Crawford out of Bishop Gorman High School in Las Vegas, Nevada. Crawford is the son of four-time All-Star Carl Crawford, who had a 15-year big league career for the Rays, Red Sox and Dodgers.
Crawford's game is similar to, well, his dad's. A speedy outfielder with Gold Glove-caliber fielding in the outfield, Crawford's swing even looks like his dad's:
Justin Crawford's classic swing that looks familiar. Just like his dad use to do. #PGNational pic.twitter.com/IVGNJLPl1a
— Perfect Game USA (@PerfectGameUSA) July 17, 2021
Here is Crawford's scouting report on MLB.com:
The son of former All-Star outfielder Carl Crawford, Justin comes from Las Vegas high school power Bishop Gorman High School, alma mater of Joey Gallo and eventual Yankees first-rounder Austin Wells, among others. The younger Crawford showed off many of his tools on the summer showcase circuit to ensure scouts headed to Vegas this spring, and they haven’t been disappointed.
Anyone who remembers watching his dad play should not be surprised that Crawford is one of the better athletes in this class. He regularly records easily plus run times and that near-elite speed will allow him to be a threat on the bases and cover a ton of ground in the outfield. At the plate, the left-handed hitter has very good bat-to-ball skills, showing the ability to make adjustments. He’s more of a slap hitter now, content to let his legs do the work, but there’s some whip in his swing and he can sit back and drive the ball the other way, with added strength to help him in the power department in the future.
Crawford has the chance to be a plus defender in center field when all is said and done. Teams who believe he’s going to fill out that 6-foot-3 frame and consistently impact the ball will be interested in trying to sign him away from his Louisiana State commitment, perhaps making him just the second Bishop Gorman product to go in the top three rounds (Tyler Whitaker was a third-rounder in 2021) since Gallo was a supplemental first-round pick in 2012. [MLB]
Sunday marked the first day of the draft with the first two rounds being held. The remaining 18 rounds will play out across Monday and Tuesday. The Phillies do not have a second-round pick this year given that they signed Nick Castellanos this past offseason after he was extended a qualifying offer from the Reds upon free agency. The team's next selection is the 93rd-overall pick in the third round.
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