Happy New Year! Or as I like to call it, Happy Birthday, Baby January! We’re in the midst of doing our fantasy baseball sleepers, but I forget one more of the 2017 fantasy baseball rookies. Not because he’s so good. I forgot him because… Well, I forgot why I forgot him. Great start to 17 after 20! As I’ve previously mentioned on the aforementioned tip, I’m focusing on redraft leagues with these fantasy baseball rookies and if I could have my druthers and knew what druthers were, I’d go with guys that have had at least a taste of the major leagues already. Enter stage right, J.P. Crawford. Enter…stage…right…. J.P. Crawford! Will someone please move the curtains? Crawford is apparently finding it harder to find the stage as he is finding his power. Last year, he had 7 HRs across Double and Triple-A in about 472 ABs. Okay, prolly not ‘about 472 ABs’ prolly exactly 472 ABs, but I added the two levels in my head and might be a little off. Why is it that player pages add major league players stats together when they’re traded but when they move across levels in the minors they don’t add anything? I mean, I get it, it’s two different levels, but can’t they list the two levels separate then also have a third line with a combination of the stats? I am literally the only that cares about this. Yes, literally. Okay, so not much power, but what about speed in the minors this year? 12 SBs. Not sure what level of enthusiasm I’m supposed to show at this point. Perhaps a lowercase yay with a small sigh? He did hit around .250 (again, there’s no combo line and I’m not doing the math this time). Around .250 or as I like to call it, who gives a fudge? So, why am I even doing a post on Crawford or better, and more seguey… Anyway, what can we expect from J.P. Crawford for 2017 fantasy baseball?
Well, not much, but I’m a lot more enthusiastic about Crawford than his minor league numbers indicate. In Double-A, he had a 18.1% walk percentage and a 12.7% K rate. I can’t remember the last time a walk and strikeout rate in Double-A excited me, but that kinda stirs the pudding for a 21-year-old kid. What is even more impressive, and I’m going to sound a lot more real basebally than fantasy basebally, but his game film. Doode sparkles. His video looks like a Major League All-Star. That stroke of his bat makes me want to…Okay, I’m not finishing that sentence, but I’m excited. He may have had only 7 HRs on the year, but you can see that stroke of his turning into a 17-22 HR guy. Which is, I guess, kinda meh, until you remember his plate discipline reads as a guy that can hit .300+. If he were 24 years old, I’d be less impressed, but he’s a few years away from 24, and 24 is still young! His speed is there too to translate to a 20-steal guy. 20/20/.300 and likely leadoff hitter for ten years? Yeah, I can see the enthusiasm for him. Now, back to our real objective here, 2017 projections for Crawford? Meh. The Phils will promote him around June/July if he’s hitting in Triple-A, but I’d put his projections at merely 28/3/16/.261/7 in 220 ABs.
