The Philadelphia Phillies are up five games on the New York Mets in the division and tied with the San Diego Padres for the second-best record in the National League. A rocky series against the Reds notwithstanding, Philly has been trending in the right direction since the All-Star break. Deadline pickups Harrison Bader and Jhoan Durán are both primed to render a significant impact down the stretch.
That said, the Phillies aren't without their red flags when projecting toward October. The rotation is awfully vulnerable, despite its perceived depth, and the outfield depth chart is a complete mess, even after the Bader trade. Philly has a strong overall pitching profile, an MVP candidate in Kyle Schwarber, and plenty of veterans with postseason experience. But this team, as it currently stands, would benefit from one more shot in the arm.
What about the farm system? While the long-awaited debut of No. 1 Phillies prospect Andrew Painter probably needs to wait until 2026, there's another Phillies youngster burning up the Minors in Lehigh Valley. His name is Justin Crawford, the 21-year-old outfielder and former 2022 first-round pick.
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Phillies can still call up Justin Crawford to address outfield woes
The numbers for Justin Crawford leap off the page. He's hitting .330 with an .850 OPS and 37 stolen bases in 376 at-bats this season. He's a .320 hitter across 1,240 Minor League at-bats for his career. It is simply difficult to find a 21-year-old generating hits so consistently, much less against the second-highest level of pro competition in the world.
Crawford offers speed on the base paths, a rangy defensive presence in the outfield and preternatural bat-to-ball skills. There are holes in his game — red flags that have thus far prevented his MLB promotion — but for a Phillies team with such a glaring need in the outfield, it's probably worth the gamble.
The Phillies shouldn't have much trouble creating space for Crawford on the roster. It's a simple as cutting Max Kepler on an expiring contract or demoting Otto Kemp back to Triple-A.
Pros outweigh the cons as Phillies weigh Justin Crawford call-up
The book on Crawford is straightforward. He's a plus-plus defender in center field (and he should be useful in right or left, should Philly decide to keep Harrison Bader in the middle). His contact skills are next-level. He just does not hit for power. Like, at all: Crawford has four home runs this season and 16 for his entire Minor League career. He generates a lot of groundball and low line-drive contact, which does not always translate to the MLB level.
That said, at a certain point, it's worth a shot. The Phillies need to see if Crawford is an exception to the rule. There's a world in which his profile does not translate and he needs a couple more years in the Minors to tweak his swing and add more loft, ideally without sacrificing his excellent swing decisions. But there's also a world in which Crawford is a ready-made leadoff hitter who can get on base a ton and set up Philly's big boppers to drive in runs.
Nick Castellanos has been the worst outfield defender in MLB this season and he's in the middle of a prolonged slump. He's making $20 million next season and won't get cut as a result, but he's bordering on unplayable. Kepler's metrics suggest that he could turn it around eventually, but we're two-thirds of the way through the season and he's hitting .210 with a .666 OPS. The Phillies can't hold out hope that Kepler is a hibernating All-Star.
A starting outfield of Crawford, Bader and Brandon Marsh gives Philadelphia three great defenders in the outfield, all with the ability to generate a .700-plus OPS at the plate. That trio won't generate much power, but in terms of manufacturing hits, setting up the heart of the lineup, and defending their zones on the field, there's a lot to like. Suddenly the Phillies' outfield goes from a crippling weakness to a potential strength.
It's time to give the kid a shot.