Same baby face. Same wry smile. Same approach.
Justin Crawford has stayed the course throughout his first Triple-A season with the Lehigh Valley IronPigs, including July with the Major League Baseball trade deadline lurking.
The results speak to a locked-in Phillies prospect keeping his name in the call-up conversation as the parent club makes another run toward the playoffs.
“All I can do is focus on playing baseball up here,” the 21-year-old said. “That’s all I can control and all I can worry about.”
Crawford’s persistence has been rewarded with one of the most consistent offensive seasons in IronPigs history. The outfielder slashed .330/.416/.434/.850 in 92 games through Friday’s win over visiting Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.
The closest thing the Phoenix native has had that resembled a slump is a 3-for-32 stretch across eight games in mid-July. But he walked five times, was hit by a pitch and stole three bases, showing that he’s always contributing. He’s gone three consecutive games without a hit just once this year. It came in a week-long stretch starting with the final game before the summer break and continued with the first two out of it.
Crawford saw IronPigs teammate Mick Abel traded with 18-year-old catching prospect Eduardo Tait on July 30 to the Minnesota Twins for closer Jhoan Duran. It proved again that the elephant in every clubhouse with major-league prospects is real.
Whispers and talk radio speculation now has shifted to call-ups. Crawford’s performance has injected him into that conversation all summer, so the callouts from fans have gotten louder.
The Phillies’ No. 3 prospect said he is unfazed by all the noise.
“It’s not in my hands,” Crawford said. “I feel I’m ready, but they know best when to make the decision. I feel I just have to continue to show up every day and do what I do.
“I just stay in the moment, most importantly.”
Crawford is not a finished product in any aspect of his game, but he has shown a willingness to learn and improve in every area from base running to routes to fly balls in the outfield to pitch selection.
He’s stolen 36 bases, which is tied for second in the International League, and has six outfield assists compared to only two errors. He entered this year with only three career assists.
Triple-A pitchers have altered their approach against Crawford, who has worked to counter them to keep his stellar season going.
“They are trying to go in on me and soft away,” he said. “Just knowing what they are doing to me, I’ve just tried to make adjustments off that. I’m trying to not give in. At times, I have chased a few pitches but laid off recently.
“I’m just going up there and competing and not giving in.”
April Gamiz/The Morning Call
Justin Crawford has six assists so far this season. (April Gamiz/The Morning Call)
Crawford has a chance to set franchise single-season records for batting average (.319, Ali Castillo in 2019), on-base percentage (.390, Mitch Walding in 2018), hits (158, Brandon Watson in 2008) and stolen bases (48, Rich Thompson in 2011).
Those marks would be nice to have, but he’s chasing a much bigger prize. As a result, he’s staying the course with everything in his preparation.
“Obviously, you get tired this time of the season,” he said. “It’s a long season. But I’ve always done a decent job getting with the training staff when I need to get on the table. I do a whole bunch of stretching and yoga on my own.
“I’m staying consistent with it. That’s been the biggest thing. Every single day.”
Roster moves
INF Alec Bohm took batting practice for the second day in a row but did not start a rehab assignment. He has not played for the Phillies since July 18 against the Angels because of a rib injury.
RHP Mitch Neunborn was called up from Double-A Reading to start Friday’s game against the RailRiders. He made one previous start with Lehigh Valley, allowing two earned runs on four hits in 4 1/3 innings July 6 at Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.
Up next
RHP Adonis Medina (0-2, 5.14) vs. Scranton/Wilkes-Barre TBA in a 6:35 p.m. start from Coca-Cola Park. Medina worked four innings in each of his last two outings with the IronPigs. He allowed four runs (two earned) on three hits and five walks in two innings in his first appearance of his second tour in the Phillies organization on July 5 vs. the RailRiders.
Senior writer Tom Housenick can be reached at thousenick@mcall.com
Originally Published: August 8, 2025 at 2:22 PM EDT