Phillies: J.P. Crawford coming up, fantasy impact

September 1 means the rosters expand and we get a look at some of the top prospects for the final month. How will Phillies’ J.P. Crawford’s debut affect fantasy?

The Philadelphia Phillies, like many other teams, are in the middle of a rebuild. The team is doing what they can with their current roster but fantasy owners are waiting for the next group of players to take over. The September call ups is a good place to start.

Phillies top prospect J.P. Crawford got the call up from Triple A and will likely make his debut on Tuesday, Sept. 5 as the Phillies take on the New York Mets. Crawford is the fourth prospect for Philly and 61st overall, according to MLB.com Prospect Watch.

Looking at his minor league numbers, it’s hard to pinpoint what kind of hitter Crawford actually is. Between Single-A and High-A, Crawford combined for a .292 batting average with 12 home runs, 58 RBI, 94 runs and 31 steals in 48 attempts. He also had a 93:86 K:BB ratio and a .381 on-base percentage.

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Things took a turn during his time in Double-A and Triple-A. In 1,288 at-bats, Crawford hit .250 with 26 home runs, 137 RBI, 190 runs scored and 24 steals in 37 attempts. His OBP also fell to .350 in those four seasons.

The higher he went in the Phillies organization, he hit for more power and less contact. There are already a lot of high power, low contact batters, so I hope that he can get back to his Single-A form and not his Triple-A self. Unfortunately, I think the batter we saw in the last four seasons is going to be the one the Phillies and fantasy owners get in September.

Crawford joins the fantasy player pool with shortstop eligibility. He also began playing second and third base to increase his value and versatility for the organization. With Freddy Galvis locked in at the team’s shortstop, it makes sense that he and the team will want to work him in elsewhere to give him playing time. The Phillies have Cesar Hernandez and Maikel Franco at the other two infield spots.

He won’t earn eligibility for the other positions until he’s played 10 games there (unless your league has different settings). If you have a middle infield or utility spot, you can slot him there.

Next: Doug Sister heating up on the mound

The first of September brings a lot of excitement to both real and fantasy baseball. We get to see these young kids in action and they could be the next fantasy stars. It adds extra players to the pool, making the championship chase that much more exciting.

Crawford is owned in just 2.0 percent of ESPN leagues, mostly keeper/dynasty leagues. He’s worth a one-month flyer for sure.