Reggie Crawford
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| Photo: MLB.com |
Bio:
Age: 23
Height: 6'4"
Weight: 235 lbs.
Bats/Throws: Left/Left
Hometown: Lansdale, Pennsylvania
Draft Profile: 1st round, 30th pick of the 2022 draft by San Francisco Giants
Drafted Out of: Connecticut University
Career Stat Line: 37.1 IP 1-1 W/L 2.89 ERA 62:22 K:BB .177 AVG. 1.21 WHIP
The Minor League Spotlight's headed out west for the first time this season to take a look at a big lefty in the Giants' organization.
Reggie Crawford grew up in Frackville, a small town in central Pennsylvania. He came from a single-parent family where his mother, Cathy, worked as a PE teacher to support Reggie and his two sisters. Despite the financial struggles she may have endured, the Crawford kids were busy from an early age on.
His baseball career began in kindergarten, playing for local rec teams instead of the more expensive travel ball options. The lack of regional exposure resulted in his talent and potential flying under the radar, until he reached high school.
Crawford made a splash once he walked through the doors of North Schuylkill High, quite literally. The two-sport athlete may have excelled on the diamond, but it was the pool where he boasted Olympic-level skill. He lettered four times on varsity swimming, qualifying for the state finals in every season. As a junior, he narrowly edged the 2A state record for the 50 freestyle that future Olympian Gabe Castano set the year prior. The future was his oyster, but his heart simply wasn't in the sport.
Instead, it was the game of baseball where that passion could be found. Unlike many of his peers who played in travel leagues or received specialized instruction, Reggie's skill set and approach were as raw as they came.
“I had no clue what I was doing,” Crawford said. “I’d get on the mound and I’d throw the ball. I’d get in the box and I’d swing the bat. That’s all there was to it.” If only it were so simple for the rest of us.
By the time junior year rolled around at North Schuylkill, Reggie shifted his primary focus to baseball-- much to the chagrin of his swimming coach, per Mom. College and professional scouts almost immediately took notice, as the 16-year old coincidentally had shot up to 6'4" while beginning to fill out his athletic frame. It was an astronomical rise from a completely unknown varsity ballplayer to a highly desirable two-way commodity.
Crawford amassed some good numbers in his tenure for the Spartans, posting a 10-5 record and 3.63 ERA on the mound, while finishing with a .398/16/85 line at the plate. Modest statistics all considered from the prep ball circuit, but given his lack of experience and insane projectability, there was a high level of intrigue nationwide.
So much so that the Kansas City Royals selected the recent graduate in the 37th round of the 2019 MLB Draft. While the quick money would've been helpful, the lefty declined the contract with KC, opting to bet on his work ethic and potential by utilizing his scholarship to UCONN.
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| Photo: North Schuylkill Twitter |
"Reggie Regimen" was how Huskies' coach Jim Penders routinely referred to Crawford, an homage to his incredible commitment to whatever he set his mind to. If this young man wanted to accomplish something, it was a matter of how and when, not if.
However, college was not without adversity to test this sentiment, starting in 2020 with the COVID shortened campaign. The freshman played first base almost exclusively in the thirteen games they managed to get in, immediately showing he belonged by collecting his first career hit off of future two-time first round pick Kumar Rocker. He'd ultimately finish with a .365 batting average, 1 long ball and 16 RBI in 58 plate appearances. Not too shabby of a D1 debut for a guy who'd never played travel ball until a year and a half prior.
2021 would be the first and only full season Crawford would play at UCONN, continuing to get the lion's share of the work at first. But Penders also began to test out the 20-year old on the mound, calling on him for five relief appearances and one start. Reggie didn't disappoint, allowing 2 earned runs over 7.2 innings while walking 3 and striking out 17-- good for 20 K/9. He contributed a solid .295/13/62 at the plate, leading the Big East in home runs and RBI, but it was his arm that folks were now fascinated by.
Unfortunately, a UCL injury in an October scrimmage would derail what looked to be a massive upcoming season for the rising star. But Crawford possessed a level of determination matched by few, never missing a rehab in his journey back to the playing field. Nobody doubted that his return would be as soon as possible, and stronger then ever.
During the year off, the University of Tennessee made regular contact with the Huskie, attempting to sway him away from the Big East stalwart. By July of 2022, the transfer was made official, priming Reggie for a season of SEC baseball-- the best in the NCAA.
He'd never make it to the diamond in Knoxville though, as less than a week later, the San Francisco Giants were on the phone with the PA native. Armed with the 30th pick in the first round, the Bay Area squad was starstruck by Crawford-- not just on the field, but his personality and demeanor. A true 1 of 1 individual.
Despite the recent Tommy John surgery and three years of remaining eligibility, the team felt that the two sides could reach an agreement on a contract, and selected Reggie with their first pick in the 2022 MLB Draft. He'd go on to ink a $2.3 million dollar signing bonus, buy a Toyota Tundra, and officially realize his dream as a professional baseball player.
The hype's only built from there, with comparisons to Shohei Ohtani due to his two-way potential. While that ceiling may be a bit unrealistic, the fact the the discussions are being had is indicative of the kind of presence Crawford brings.
San Francisco would assign him to the Arizona Complex toward the end of '22, where Crawford struggled at the dish, going just 3-19 in his six games. He'd spend 2023 between the San Jose Giants and Eugene Emeralds, failing to record a decision in 13 starts for the two teams while posting a 2.84 ERA and .214 BAA. He strictly hit out of the DH slot, producing a meager .235/1/5 line that may have effectively ended the unicorn dream.
The organization's taken a different approach to their 8th ranked prospect this season, not only holding Reggie out of the lineup, but largely out of the rotation as well. The year began in AA Richmond, where six of his seven appearances were out of the bullpen. He missed plenty of bats, as evidenced by his .147 average against and 17.69 K/9, but his ERA was a touch higher than preferred at 4.66.
Since moving up to AAA Sacramento in the middle of May, he's been nothing short of dominant, surrendering one earned run and a .114 BAA in seven appearances for the River Cats. His strikeout numbers are down a little bit, while the walk rate has nearly doubled, but it's all a part of the learning curve for this extraordinary, yet inexperienced, talent.
Crawford's been on the IL with an undisclosed injury since June 14th, after a relief appearance versus the Albuquerque Isotopes where his fastball velocity was four MPH lower than his season averages. It's a concerning development in what had be a really momentous year for the young lefty. We're hoping the holdout is nothing more than precautionary and that this electric young arm is back on the diamond in the near future.
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@Choppinglines
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