Draft To The Show - Top 15 in 15 - Phillies

Rank	Name	Position	Bats/Throws	D.O.B
01	J.P. Crawford	SS	L/R	01-11-1995
We were high on Crawford coming out of the 2013 draft, believing he was the best shortstop in the entire class, although admittedly that wasn’t saying much at the time. Though we’re still a few years from seeing him in the big leagues, to say that he’s exceeded my expectations in his two years in the system is quite the understatement. Crawford has fantastic hands, not only in the field but with the bat as well He gets through the zone quickly from both sides of the plate, and he’s capable of shooting line drives to all parts of the field. He doesn’t have the frame, strength or swing path to put up big power numbers, but there’s enough bat speed and feel for hitting for the switch hitter to put balls into the gap and occasionally pull a pitch middle-in out of the ballpark. In the field, Crawford isn’t at the level of a Francisco Lindor or Nick Gordon, but he isn’t far-off. He has improved his footwork considerably over the past two years, and though he isn’t an elite athlete, there’s enough speed to make plays with his left and right. He also has a strong, accurate throwing arm, and he gets rave reviews for his positioning and instincts I don’t think Crawford is going to be a star, but a shortstop who can get on base, hit double digit homers, steal 20 to 25 bases and play above-average defense, there’s a chance he’s an All-Star, and I would be very surprised if he wasn’t a starting shortstop in the big leagues for a decade or so. HIT: 55 POWER: 40 SPEED: 55 ARM: 60 FIELD: 55 ETA: 2017 http://www.drafttotheshow.com/top-15-in-15-philadelphia-phillies/