There has been a steady flow of front office and coaching staff hires over the last few weeks. As these positions get filled, we get an idea of how things will be run under Paul Toboni. This latest hire caught my eye though. The Nationals hired Grayson Crawford from the Mets to be the Director of Pitching in the organization.
This is a hire that really fires me up because pitching development is something I love to explore. There is so much information about pitchers and different ways organizations can unlock their talent. At the end of the Mike Rizzo era, the Nats were starting to become sharper on the pitching development side of things, but this hire will take it to the next level.
Advertisement
Crawford is very highly respected in the industry as a pitching mind. He has worked in the Mets and Yankees organizations. Both are very good at developing pitchers. People who are tapped into both organizations love this hire for the Nats.
Over the last couple of years, the Mets have really stepped up their Minor League pitching development. Nolan McLean went from a two-way player drafted in the third round to a future front of the rotation arm in just a couple years. Jonah Tong went from a 7th round pick to a top 50 prospect. There have been a lot of success stories on the farm while Crawford has been with the Mets.
Crawford spent his first season in the Mets organization as the Triple-A pitching coach. After impressing in that role, he was promoted to assistant pitching coordinator. Now he is coming to DC to be the director of the Nats pitching development.
Advertisement
Before coming to the Mets, Crawford was a Minor League pitching coach with the Yankees for a couple years. He left a strong impression while he was there. The Yankees actually picked him up from the college ranks. Crawford was a pitching coach at Lipscomb University for a couple years.
Like a lot of these new Nats coaches, Crawford played baseball, but not at the highest level. He played at both Southern Arkansas University and Stillman College before starting his coaching career. Crawford is a grandpa compared to most other Nats coaches, graduating college in 2010.
This could be a hire that pays immediate dividends for the Nats. Seemingly small tweaks in a pitcher’s arsenal or mechanics can make them a totally different pitcher. Given his track record, Crawford should be very helpful for the Nats Minor League arms.
Advertisement
Not only will Crawford help the top arms like Jarlin Susana and Travis Sykora, but he could unlock some hidden gems. The Nats took two high upside high school arms in Landon Harmon and Miguel Sime. I am very excited to see what Crawford can do with those guys. There should also be a couple more under the radar prospects that break out because of this hire.
There have been a lot of young, but inexperienced people hired by the Nats under Paul Toboni. However, this hire is different and seems like a home run. Crawford is a guy who has risen quickly through the Mets and Yankees organizations. Make no mistake about it, this is not a cheap hire.
For so long I have been begging for the Nats to be innovators. Now that finally seems to be happening. Hires like this are going to improve the Nats farm system drastically. The big league success may not come right away, but I feel confident that the organization is heading in the right direction.