For the majority of the MLB season, Philadelphia Phillies fans have been frustrated with the outfield. Brandon Marsh earlier in the year, Nick Castellanos in the middle of the summer, and Max Kepler for the majority of the season were all at the center of frustrations for Phillies fans.
Amid those frustrations, the Phillies’ top outfield prospect, Justin Crawford, was tearing it up in Triple-A. Fans called for Crawford to make his MLB debut, replacing Kepler, Marsh, or Castellanos in the outfield.
But now, after the resurgence of all three Phillies outfielders, along with the acquisition of Harrison Bader, the plan for Crawford is a lot different. Scott Lauber of The Philadelphia Inquirer interviewed Phillies GM Preston Mattingly, and Mattingly revealed why the team is deciding not to call up Crawford.
Why the Phillies aren’t calling up Justin Crawford this season.
“I think with Justin, he’s had a tremendous season,” Mattingly said. “But if Justin were to come up, we want him to be able to play every day.”
This sentiment has been mentioned by Rob Thomson and Dave Dombrowski before. Crawford won’t be called up unless he has a clear path to every-day playing time. But with how great he’s played, he’s an option for the Phillies if such a spot were to open.
The 21-year-old Crawford this season in Triple-A has a .334 batting average with seven home runs, 47 RBIs, 46 stolen bases, and an .863 OPS across 440 at-bats. In his minor league career, he’s hitting .322 with 19 home runs, 177 RBIs, 145 stolen bases, and an .831 OPS.
A player of his caliber is someone the Phillies are considering calling up. But it’d only occur if he plays every day. Barring an injury to Marsh, Castellanos, Kepler, or Bader, the Phillies won’t be calling up Crawford in 2025.
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With the potential for Castellanos, Bader, and Kepler all to depart the team in the offseason, Crawford’s chances to make his MLB debut in 2026 look strong. For now, he’s set to finish the season at Triple-A and prepare for Spring Training in 2026.
“He’s not a finished product by any stretch of the matter,” Mattingly said of Crawford. “And he’s still getting better every day. … So I think there’s so much upside with Justin and we want to, from a development standpoint, continue to tap into that down there in Triple-A.”
Barring an everyday spot in the Majors opening up, the Phillies will keep Crawford in the minor leagues. Fortunately, the Phillies haven’t needed Crawford lately with how much better Bader, Marsh, Kepler, and Castellanos have been this month.
The Phillies’ decision not to call up Crawford is an easy one. Between the lack of a spot in the starting lineup and the resurgence of the Phillies’ outfielders, Crawford will continue to develop in Triple-A to close out another strong year for the former 2022 first-round pick.
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