While the majority of us weather another blizzard, the Philadelphia Phillies kicked off their spring training slate this weekend, against the Toronto Blue Jays and cross-state rival Pittsburgh Pirates. This weekend didn’t necessarily feature a boatload of players who will impact the regular season club. Still, we did get a look at Justin Crawford and an odd Aidan Miller mention. We also got a Schwarbomb and a look at Alec Bohm in the cleanup spot. Here’s everything you missed from this weekend:
Justin Crawford’s debut:
All eyes this weekend were on Crawford, and for good reason. Crawford, the son of Tampa Bay Rays legend Carl Crawford, is the Phillies third ranked prospect (MLB Pipeline #53) and projected to be the opening day center fielder. The 22-year-old is facing a lot of pressure, given the town he’s playing in and the state of the team. This is an aging roster that has immense pressure to win now, so coddling a prospect is off the menu. Luckily, Crawford delivered a two-hit debut on Saturday and flashed the leather:
Extremely encouraging stuff from Crawford! His first step is excellent, and his elite speed is already translating. Even more encouraging was the nature of his two hits. Here’s hit one:
The issue with Crawford’s statistical profile is that he had an abnormally high ground ball rate in the minors. To see him get this much lift and power into this baseball (104 MPH off the bat) is extremely encouraging. His first at-bat came against Blue Jays pitcher Eric Lauer. If you’re unfamiliar, Lauer has seven years of pitching experience and won 9 games with the American League champions of last year. He’s no slouch. Crawford got down in the count, 0-2, before working him to six pitches, and then just barely missed a home run on a foul ball. The next pitch, he turned into a double. Hit two was as encouraging:
Again, Crawford got air under the ball. This is absolutely huge for him going forward, and something to watch for the rest of spring training. Credit needs to go to Crawford for the adjustments he made late last season:
Veteran Watch:
Saturday’s game didn’t feature many everyday players, but it did feature two outfield staples: Adolis Garcia and Otto Kemp. Garcia profiles as the team’s everyday right fielder, while Kemp will platoon with Brandon Marsh in left. Unfortunately, neither performed as well as Crawford. Garcia had two fly outs and a ground out, while Kemp struck out, flied out, and walked. Kemp’s defense in left will be something to monitor as spring training continues. He’s an infielder by trade and attempting to make the transition to left.
Schwarbombs are back on the menu
Not that I’d ever doubt Kyle Schwarber or his contributions to this era of Phillies baseball, but his five-year, $ 150 million contract made me a tad nervous. He’s 33, primarily plays designated hitter, and hasn’t necessarily played at his best the last few Octobers. I felt very dumb by Sunday afternoon:
Simply hearing the crack of the bat brought a smile to my face. Schwarber is worth every penny.
Cleanup Bohm
Alec Bohm, the Phillies ‘ much-maligned third baseman, enters the year in a very weird spot. It’s a contract year for him. The team attempted to add infielder Bo Bichette in the offseason, and prospect Aidan Miller is chomping at his heels. Bohm was able to compartmentalize all this and go 1-2 with a sacrifice fly and double:
Bohm will hit fourth this season, as he did in this game, and will serve as protection for slugger Bryce Harper. He must continue his career average of .284 with runners in scoring position if the Phillies want to achieve their ultimate goal of a World Series.
Aidan Miller Injured
Crawford, Andrew Painter, and Miller are the three most highly touted Phillies prospects in Clearwater, Florida. Crawford was able to make his debut. Painter figures to pitch sometime during the week, so where was Miller? Sideline reporter Bryce Harper has the answer:
Postgame, Manager Rob Thomson confirmed with reporters that Miller was out with a sore back. For how long, who knows? Harper’s comments are extremely interesting because he outright stated that Miller would “help us by the end”. Do the Phillies plan on promoting him to the major league roster this season, perhaps after the trade deadline? Time will tell.
