NAME: Justin Crawford
SCHOOL: Bishop Gorman HS (NV)
POSITION: OF
HEIGHT/WEIGHT: 6’3″, 175 lbs
B/T: L/R
D.O.B.: January 13, 2004
Committed: Louisiana State
SCOUTING REPORT
The name Justin Crawford may sound familiar to some readers, as it should. The son of former major league outfielder Carl Crawford flashed his potential during the showcase circuit last summer, which in turn led to lots of attention being paid to his senior year performance at Bishop Gorman High School in Las Vegas.
Coming into the 2022 season, Crawford was named to Baseball America’s 2022 High School Preseason All-American Second Team. As the 2021 summer showcases wrapped up, he checked in as the 38th ranked prospect in Baseball America’s high school prospect list well ahead of the 2022 draft. Crawford was rated as the 44th prospect by ESPN, 32nd prospect by Prospects Live, 29th prospect by Baseball America, 19th by The Athletic, and 13th by MLB Pipeline.
Standing at 6’3″ 175 lbs, Crawford currently has a tall and slender frame and is considered one of the better athletes in this class. He is projectable however, with the belief that there’s room for him to fill out as he matures. The Louisiana State commit is a plus-plus runner, bordering on elite, making him a threat on the basepaths as well as possessing fantastic range in the outfield.
At the plate, Crawford displays good contact ability and bat speed. The Bishop Gorman product is more contact over power at this point in time, but his power has shown flashes, leading to the belief that it will develop in time.
Defensively, Crawford has an above average arm as well as defensive ability in center field. As mentioned previously, his running ability aids his range and allows him to cover massive amounts of ground in the outfield.
WHY WOULD THE WHITE SOX DRAFT JUSTIN CRAWFORD?
Justin Crawford would fit some very specific needs in the White Sox system, and it should be noted that the White Sox have been in attendance to get a closer look at the Bishop Gorman product. First, he bats left-handed and would help add balance to the system. After drafting and signing the likes of Colson Montgomery, Wes Kath, and Oscar Colas, Crawford would be a fantastic addition to the stable of young lefty bats on the farm.
Second, the 18-year-old is an up-the-middle player and a fantastic athlete, which is something the White Sox and their bottom tier farm system should be salivating over. In addition, adding more premium young talent to the system is another aspect that the White Sox can use more depth in. Young talent seems to be the preferred currency in today’s game, as several major league clubs either prefer that to build up their system or look for pieces like that trades.
The speed aspect of Crawford’s game is something that should appeal to every team, because plus-plus to near elite speed is something that you can’t teach. Crawford being an above average defender with a good arm and range is something that the White Sox could most definitely use, as the White Sox seemingly hadn’t emphasized defensive skill or versatility in previous years.
The White Sox farm system needs an influx of young talent at all levels. After all of the graduations from the “core” rebuild players, the system was left barren of future high impact talent. Crawford would surely add to that group and help revitalize the farm system.
MOCK DRAFTS
Earlier in the mock season, Crawford’s name was floating around near the back half of the first round, right in range of where the White Sox will make their selection this year at No. 26. As the baseball season has progressed, so did the Louisiana State commit’s draft stock.
In the most recent MLB Pipeline mock, Jonathan Mayo has Crawford being selected by the Mets with the 11th pick. Kiley McDaniel of ESPN has Crawford being selected by the Rays at pick No. 29, but also noted that he is in play as early as ninth (Royals). Baseball America had Crawford being selected by the Tigers with the 12th selection.
Keith Law of The Athletic has the high school product pegged to the Braves with the 20th pick in his most recent mock. At the time of this writing, Prospects Live had him being selected by the Pirates in the supplemental round with the 36th pick.
If the recent trends continue as we push deeper into the draft season, it seems more and more unlikely that Crawford makes it the White Sox at pick 26. If Crawford were to be available when the White Sox made their first pick, he would be a fantastic addition to the system.
Photo credit: PerfectGame.org