In 2022, Crawford graduated from Bishop Gorman High School in Las Vegas, Nevada, with a commit to the Univ. of Arizona. Originally from Southern California, Justine moved to Las Vegas during high school.

Justin's childhood baseball coach, former big leaguer Junior Spivey said, “He has a chance to be better than his dad. He’s driven, he’s hungry, he just wants the information, he loves to be coached. He’s a coach’s dream because he wants to be coached, and you just coach him up, and he understands the game and understands that no stage’s too big for him.”

Justin Crawford said having Carl as his father made him a better player.

“He used to take me to the clubhouse with all the players, so my dad mostly, but even all the players would show me the ropes,” Justin said. “My dad obviously is a big part of my life with baseball and got me to where I am today. I would say it helps me out a little bit. He would take me out to the field during batting practice, and those balls are obviously hit a lot harder, so I guess it made it a little easier for me. Just help me maybe adjust to the game a lot easier and just knowing what those balls are like off the bat.”

In 1999, Carl Crawford was one of the two or three best athletes in the draft class, with a special combination of speed and strength.

Several decades later, his son, Justin Crawford, is one of the most impressive athletes in the 2022 draft class. Crawford is much leaner than his father at the same time, with a highly projectable and lanky, 6-foot-3, 175-pound frame that has plenty of room for more strength gains in the future.

Justin is committed to Louisiana State but has gotten plenty of attention as a prospect in the middle of the first round. Crawford is the latest in a long line of talented prospects produced by Bishop Gorman, including Tyler Whitaker, Austin Wells, Cadyn Grenier and Joey Gallo in the last 10 years.

July 2022: The Phillies chose Crawford in the first round (#17 overall), out of Bishop Gorman High School in Las Vegas, NV. Justin signed for $3,894,800 via scout Zach Friedman. 

Justin was born before the 2004 season, Carl’s first All-Star season, and he was old enough to learn what it was like to be in big-league clubhouses by the time Carl’s career ended in 2016. He saw enough of his dad’s at-bats to want to mimic the sweet swing.

“When I was younger, I used to, and it used to get on my mom’s nerves so much because I would go up there striking out trying to hit exactly like him,” Justin, 18, said. “But I think once I finally grew out of that, then I kind of just started doing my own thing.”

“I really don’t like to do comparisons because I don’t think they’re very fair to, obviously, the younger player,” said Brian Barber, the Phillies’ director of amateur scouting. “But the biggest comparison would be they both run really fast. Really, beyond that, I think there are a lot of differences to their games.

“And obviously, no offense to Carl, who was a superstar in the major leagues for a long time, but I would think Justin is a lot more advanced defensively than Carl was at that time. Carl was probably more physical than Justin is at this point (whereas) Justin will need to come in and work on getting a little bit bigger and stronger. As an 18-year-old, we’re absolutely not concerned about that whatsoever.”

Carl Crawford, now a record producer, lived in Houston while Justin and his sister were in Las Vegas with his mom, Amy Freeman. “His mom has done one hell of a job,” DiMaria said. “She’s an awesome lady.” Carl was involved from afar. DiMaria said Carl came to three or four games at Bishop Gorman. He told DiMaria that he did his homework on the program and the coach.

“I would say my speed, obviously, and just my all-around awareness of the game,” Crawford said. “I think I have a high IQ for the game, and I take a lot of pride in that. I thank my dad a lot for that because I’ve kind of just got that just from growing up with him.” (Gelb-TheAthletic.com-July 18, 2022)

In 2023, the Baseball America Prospect Handbook rated Crawford as 4th-best prospect in the Phillies organization in the spring of 2023. He was at #2 in 2024. And in the spring of 2025, he was 4th-best.

In 2023, Crawford represented the Phillies in the All-Star Futures Game. 

2023 Season: He slashed .332/.392/.467 between Single-A Clearwater and High-A Jersey Shore. He can run. He can play defense. He knows how to put the bat on the ball. The Phillies believe the power will come, too. (He hit three homers in 390 plate appearances.)

2023 Stats (A/A+): .332 AVG | .392 OBP | .467 SLG | 3 HR | 47 SB | 17.7 K% | 8.2 BB%

Praise for Crawford rings throughout the Phillies’ organization. The first-round pick from 2022 put together an excellent slash line in 2023. He dominated Low-A to the tune of a .344/.399/.478 slash line before earning a promotion to High-A. His speed helps fuel the high batting average and once on base, Crawford has no issues stealing another. His borderline elite speed is his carrying tool from a fantasy perspective. He projects for 35+ stolen bases once he makes it to the major league level.

Based solely on his 2023 slash line and speed, it feels as if Crawford should rank higher on this list. The issue is that he does not do very much damage to the ball. He hit just three home runs all season and in 69 games in Low-A, he posted an average exit velocity of just 85 mph.

At age 19, there is time for Crawford to add more physicality to his game, but he will also need to undergo a swing change. Crawford led all of the minor leagues in ground ball rate at an astronomical 69.7%. This limits any power potential and is likely to cause batting average issues as he reaches the upper levels of the minor leagues. There is a lot for fantasy managers to be wary of when digging deeper past Crawford’s surface stats.

Jan 29, 2024: Fastest runner: Justin Crawford, OF, Phillies (75)

Carl Crawford won four American League stolen-base titles from 2003-07, and his son has the speed to sit atop the swipe leaderboards one day. Justin recorded 60-yard dash times under 6.2 seconds on the high school showcase circuit and used his quickness to steal 47 bases in 55 attempts and to turn enough grounders into singles to rank seventh in the Minors in batting (.332) during his first full pro season. (J Callis - MLB.com - Jan 29, 2024

June 19, 2024: The prospect ready to climb the ladder for the Phillies: Justin Crawford, OF (No. 4/MLB No. 62)

Crawford finished last year with High-A Jersey City, and he’s picked up where he left off after a strong first full season. The speedster has 24 steals in 53 games, which surprises no one, but he’s also hitting .302/.353/.423 and he already has more homers (four) than he did in all of 2023. He's doing a better job of driving the ball without getting away from who he is as a player and his .855 OPS over his last 30 days is a sign he’s figuring things out and could be ready for a move to Reading soon. (Mayo, Callis & Dykstra - MLB.com - June 19, 2024)

July 2024: Crawford represented the Phillies at the Futures All-Star Game. A selective, hard-hitting batter at the plate, Crawford finished 1-for-3 in the lead-off position for the NL, including a single smashed at 101.7 MPH. Meanwhile, despite having never played a professional game in left field, Crawford excelled there, making a diving catch on a line drive for the final out. 

2024 Fastest runner: in Top 100 Prospects: Justin Crawford, OF, Phillies (75)

Crawford's father Carl led the American League in steals four times in five seasons in the mid-2000s, and Justin inherited his speed. He recorded sub-6.2-second 60-yard dash times on the showcase circuit and flashes top-of-the-scale quickness in game action. He knows how to use it to beat out hits (career .312 average in two-plus pro seasons), swipe bags (93 in 114 attempts in 194 games) and cover ground in center field. (J Callis - MLB.com - Aug 19, 2024)

2025 Season: In 112 games, Crawford hit .334 with a .863 OPS and a walk rate of 11.5%. His elite speed translated to 46 stolen bases.

“Justin’s combination of talent and toughness has once again shown through in his elite performance,” Phillies farm director Luke Murton said in 2025.

Dec 26, 2025: The Phillies Prospect to watch in 2026:  OF Justin Crawford (PHI No. 3 prospect, No. 54 overall)

Crawford is practically a lock to make the Phillies’ Opening Day roster with outfielders Nick Castellanos and Max Kepler not expected to return in 2026. Crawford could be the Phillies’ everyday left fielder if Harrison Bader re-signs as a free agent. He could be the everyday center fielder if Bader signs elsewhere. Regardless, Crawford has nothing more to prove in Triple-A, and it’s time the Phillies start working their top prospects into the mix. (T Zolecki - MLB.com Dec 26, 2025)

The way that came to be, though, is very much up for debate.

"He’s right-handed, but he wanted to hit left-handed because he saw me hitting that way," Carl said in an interview with MLB Network. "He just refused to hit on his right side, because he wanted to hit like me."

That's not quite how Justin remembers it.

“No, no, no. That’s not how that happened," Justin said through laughter. "He made me left-handed.”

Go on ...

"All right, so I was a baby and since I do everything righty, I would always hit righty -- but he would always switch my hands," Justin said. "My mom would be the one to be like, 'Why are you switching his hands?’ You know, just being a mom. And he was like, 'No, trust me, he's gonna thank me one day for this.'"

And was he right?

"Oh, of course. Of course," Justin says now. "Man, I’m definitely glad he made me a lefty. Thank God for that."
 

Whether Justin hit left-handed just to be like his dad or not, there's no question he followed in Carl's footsteps in other ways. The two not only have a similar skillset, but many of the same mannerisms.

A young Justin not only watched his dad in-person any chance he got, but he spent countless hours on his iPad watching his dad's highlights on YouTube.

"He used to watch me so much that he used to imitate how I run off the field," Carl said. “He was doing this at 2 years old, so I was like, ‘Yo, he’s going to be in the League one day.’”

That prediction came true this season when Justin made the Phillies' Opening Day roster at just 22 years old. The 17th overall pick in the 2022 MLB Draft, Crawford raked at every stop in the Minors over the past few years.

He now finds himself in the big leagues playing for the same manager -- Don Mattingly -- that his dad played for with the Dodgers from 2013-15. Justin has talked before about how he remembers walking into Mattingly's office as a little 8-year-old kid on Carl's first day in L.A.ASS="highlight">
For all the advice and hitting tips, it's also those impressionable experiences that Justin never would have gotten without his big league dad.ASS="highlight">

"I'm not here without him," Justin said.ASS="highlight"> "Just the whole journey that he brought me on growing up, taking me through clubhouses and allowing me to get an up-close and personal look at it all -- that's honestly what drove me to want to do this.ASS="highlight">"
 
Now, Justin has already started paying it forward in a way for his younger siblings Ari, Leo, Celine and Carson.ASS="highlight">

“Justin had a chance to watch me when he was their age," Carl said.ASS="highlight"> "Now he's up there and all the rest of the younger kids -- they’re 10-plus years apart from him -- they’re all looking at him now as if I didn’t even play.ASS="highlight">”

Carl, of course, didn't just play.ASS="highlight"> He was a Gold Glover, a Silver Slugger winner and a four-time All-Star over a 15-year big league career.ASS="highlight">

"[Justin is] basically like me up there, so I don’t have a problem with them forgetting," Carl said.ASS="highlight"> "All I’m gonna do is point to him and say, ‘What you see in him is what I was doing.ASS="highlight">’ So it’s the same thing.ASS="highlight">"

Justin would be thrilled to have a career that turns out "the same" as his dad -- but he's also aiming just a bit higher.ASS="highlight">

After all, it's that mentality -- like making sure he beat his dad's 40-yard dash record in high school -- that has helped him get to this point.ASS="highlight">

"He was pretty good, man.ASS="highlight"> The bar is high, for sure," Justin acknowledged.ASS="highlight"> "But yeah, growing up I definitely looked at all his numbers and know what he did.ASS="highlight"> Obviously, I know it won't be easy, but I'd love to surpass them someday.ASS="highlight">"

Well, there's another thing the Crawfords can agree on.ASS="highlight">

“I hope he beats all of my records.ASS="highlight"> All-Star Games, stolen bases -- everything," Carl said.ASS="highlight"> "I know he can do it.ASS="highlight">” (P Casela - MLB.com - June 18, 2026)
 

2025 Season: Phillies: .334 AVG, Justin Crawford, OF (No. 3/MLB No. 54)

Crawford spent all year at age 21 in Triple-A and won the International League batting title with the .344 average. He’s now hit .322 in his professional career with a .385 OBP, which in turn helped him do his thing on the basepaths, stealing 40-plus bags for the third year in a row. (Mayo & Dykstra - MLB.com - Oct 22, 2025)

Crawford’s biggest obstacle has been hitting the ball in the air. In 2023, his groundball rate bordered on 70% and was highest in the minor leagues. In 2024, he dropped that figure to 61%. 

In his two full years of pro ball, Crawford has made a ton of contact and gotten on base at a very high clip. That’s led to a career .316 average and .371 on-base percentage with a strikeout rate of 18.6 percent heading into the 2025 season. The left-handed hitter has started to answer questions about his ability to impact the baseball, registering more consistently high exit velocities, and while he still has a high groundball rate, that number has dropped from year to year.

He may never have a ton of power, but as he keeps adding strength, he should be able to drive and lift the ball for extra bases more frequently. The work Crawford has done to strengthen his lower half has helped him not play as low to the ground, standing more upright in the box to help on that front as well. (MLB Pipeline - Spring 2025)

The Phillies see it as progress, and a signal that the 2022 first-rounder has an aptitude for making adjustments as he moves through the system. 

“We’re always searching for better quality of contact, right? Everybody is,” Phillies GM Preston Mattingly said. “Justin’s no different. He’s consistently looking to hit the ball harder, on a line more. And I think he’s done that this year. 

“It’s not like it’s a quick fix overnight, where we make this change, and he starts hitting fly balls. We’re taking the long-term approach. More balls on the line, which is going to lead to catching more balls out in front, which could mean more balls in the gap, which, obviously, with his speed, turns into doubles and triples.”

Crawford’s bat path is quite flat, but the Phillies have been hesitant to change it thus far, because he’s seeing results and is a career .316 hitter in pro ball. They like that he’s making a lot of contact, and is hitting the ball harder, but a time may come when the lefthanded hitter needs to make a change.

For now, the main focus is pitch selection. Phillies minor league hitting coordinator Jake Elmore has encouraged Crawford to hone in on his damage zones. Being more selective has helped him.

“Justin sees a lot of success when he gets the ball up in the zone,” Elmore said. “So that’s been some of the messaging to him. I’d rather you chase a pitch up than a ball down. Because something really good can happen up.” (Alex Coffey - Baseball America - Baseball America - Jan, 2025)

2024 Season: The No. 3 team prospect might have had the best season of anyone in the organization. Across two levels of the minors he hit .313 with 42 stolen bases and 79 runs scored in 110 games. He also flashed a bit of power with 38 extra base hits.

The Phillies’ hitting prospect of the year for a second year in a row, Crawford started driving the ball a bit more and finished with 130 wRC+. (Mayo, Callis & Dykstra - MLB.com - Oct 17, 2024)

A left-handed hitter, Crawford does a lot of things well at the plate with a setup and approach that’s geared for contact. He struck out in fewer than 20 percent of his plate appearances in 2023 en route to hitting a combined .332 with a .392 on-base percentage.

There has been some concern with his propensity to hit the ball on the ground, with a ground-ball rate hovering around 70 percent in 2023. He hits the ball plenty hard enough, with a maximum exit velocity of 110 mph, but he needs to work on the quality of his contact and driving the ball more as he moves up the ladder. It’s something the Phillies think will happen as he continues to gain strength and learns to lift the ball more. (Spring 2924)

Justin's  next step is improving his bat path and catching pitches in front of the strike zone in order to get them in the air more often. He was one of the most extremely groundball-oriented hitters in the minors in 2023, with an average launch angle of -9 degrees and a groundball rate of roughly 70% between both stops. He hits the ball plenty hard—his 90th percentile exit velocity was 103.1 mph—now he needs to get it off the ground. Crawford’s chase rate was a bit high, but his in-zone miss rate of 13.4% was excellent. (Josh Norris - Baseball America Prospect Handbook - Spring, 2024)

Crawford has been working with Phillies hitting development coach Luke Murton to uncap some of that power potential. He hit three home runs in 2023 with a groundball rate pushing 70% that was the highest in the minor leagues among batters with 300 plate appearances.

The Phillies are well aware that number needs to be trimmed. But given Crawford’s age and the fact that he is still in the process of adding muscle, Mattingly isn’t concerned. 

“He’ll continue to focus on his approach, which I think he can take big strides forward in,” Mattingly said. “I think with the quality of contact, there are avenues for him to improve that and I think we’re improving that as well.” (Alex Coffey - BA - May 2024)

“When you get a kid in high school, you never know how they’re going to perform,” Phillies assistant GM of player development Preston Mattingly said. “And he made a ton of contact for his first year out.” 

Crawford is a long and loose athlete who regularly posts at least plus run times. The fact that he stole 10 bases in 16 games during his pro debut is not a fluke, he'll have the chance to steal a ton of bags as he progresses. He has excellent contact skills and is decidedly hit-over-power, using his speed to his advantage. The Phillies have seen some raw pop in BP and think the power will emerge as he tightens up his swing and adds strength. He’s already put on 15 pounds of good weight since he signed. (BA - Spring 2023)

Justin has a long and lanky, 6-foot-3, 175-pound frame with room to add strength. He began putting on muscle during the fall of his senior year, and it was a continued area of emphasis for him during 2022 instructional league.

He has a contact-oriented offensive approach with good bat-to-ball skills, doing a lot of his damage on the ground and to the gaps, with a swing that can get lengthy at times. He has plus-plus speed underway that should allow him to turn singles into doubles and doubles into triples. He shows occasional power, but he struggles at times to get his barrel out and use leverage in his swing. He has below-average juice, with the potential to reach solid-average power with the necessary tweaks and strength gains. (Chris Hilman-Trenkle - Baseball America Prospect Handbook - Spring, 2023)

Anyone who remembers watching his dad play should not be surprised that Crawford was one of the better athletes in the 2022 Draft class. He regularly easily records plus run times and that near-elite speed will enable him to be a threat on the bases and cover a ton of ground in the outfield. At the plate, the left-handed hitter has very good bat-to-ball skills, showing the ability to make adjustments.

He’s more of a slap hitter now, content to let his legs do the work, but there’s some whip in his swing, and he can sit back and drive the ball the other way, with added strength to help him in the power department in the future. (Spring 2022)

Justin showed solid bat-to-ball skills last summer over the showcase circuit, with a slappy approach in games, but sneaky raw power in batting practice given his strength at the time. Scouts noted that Crawford added more muscle throughout the fall and this spring, and he’s started driving the ball with more authority.

Crawford has contact skills and will make two-strike adjustments by widening his stance at the plate, but his swing can get lengthy at times, and he’ll need to refine his bat path a bit at the next level. Power should be the last part of his game to develop, and how much he has in the future will depend on how much strength he can add to his frame. Even if he’s never a big power hitter, he should be able to find plenty of extra-base hits by driving balls into the gaps and using his speed on the bases. (BA - July 2022)

2025 Season: The Phillies’ consensus No. 3 prospect, a left-handed hitting singles hitter who Dombrowski is penciling into a starting spot in the 2026 outfield.

“In my mind, Crawford has a real strong chance to be with our club,” Dombrowski said. “We’re giving him that opportunity to be with our club. We think he can play center field. Will that be our best with him in center? He’s never played right, so if it’s not center, he would have to play left. Is that our best setup as we go forward? I don’t know that. It’s very dependent, but we feel very comfortable if we said, ‘OK, you’re our center fielder.’ If that were the best (way), he would be fine to do that.”

Over the course of the last two years, the Phillies’ approach to Crawford has been perplexing. As one of the team’s top prospects, they have largely refused to include him in trade proposals, although it’s likely he was more available than Aidan Miller or Andrew Painter. But, even with great needs in the outfield last year, Crawford remained in AAA all season, where he put up a .334/.411/.452 slash line with 23 doubles, four triples and seven home runs.

Crawford has notably had one of the highest ground ball rates during his minor league career. Last year, he hit the ball hard, but put it on the ground at a 59.4% clip. Among 277 players with at least 300 PAs in the Majors last year, Crawford’s 59.4% ground ball rate would have been tied with Chandler Simpson of the Rays for second-highest. Jake Mangum, also of the Rays, was first.

Mangum hit .296/.330/.368 last year with a 95 wRC+. Simpson hit .295/.326/.345 last year with an 88 wRC+.

Those are fine offensive numbers for a No. 9 hole hitter, which is almost certainly where Crawford would hit in the Phillies’ lineup next season. They would also be fine if he played a high level center field. A 95 wRC+ would rank tied for 17th among center fielders last season with at least 300 plate appearances.

However, most observers believe Crawford to be a below-par defensive center fielder, and that his skills are more suited to playing left field. Among 43 left fielders with at least 300 PAs, a 95 wRC+ would have ranked tied for 32nd.

If Crawford cannot play center field at a high level, it’s difficult to imagine the Phillies’ 2026 outfield being much more productive than those in 2024 and 2025, unless they surprise everyone by signing Kyle Tucker, Cody Bellinger, or trading for someone like Jo Adell or Taylor Ward, both of which come with their own set of issues.

And yet, the Phillies have to play Crawford in 2026. They must know what he can do, and can’t do, at the big league level. They have to see if Kevin Long can help him elevate the ball more at the big league level, and they have to see if their coaching staff can aid him in becoming a better defender in center.

Even with Crawford earmarked for one of the outfield spots, Dombrowski still must operate with the sole purpose of finding better bats. It’s a tricky puzzle to figure out, and there aren’t many pieces available.

Improvement from Crawford in some key areas could make all the difference. (John Stolnis - Nov 13, 2025 - The Good Phight)

Crawford is solid 55 grade center fielder who covers loads of ground with his elite, 70-grade speed. He has a 50 grade arm.

More strength also helps Crawford to be more explosive in terms of his baserunning and in his first step covering ground in the outfield. He spent a lot of time working on his defense, and there’s still confidence he’ll be able to play center field for a long time as he attacks the upper levels of the Phillies system.

Justin's next step is to use that speed to improve his defense, which scouts believe took a step back in 2024. They were particularly concerned by inefficient route-running masked by the speed that allows him to cover for his mistakes. He took all his defensive reps in center field, which is where he’ll have to stay in order to get the most of his value. (MLB Pipeline - Spring, 2025)

As fast as Crawford is, he might even have another gear, with that added strength leading to better body control. That will help him on the basepaths and in center field, where he should easily be a plus defender. Just age 20 for all of the 2024 season, he inspires a lot of confidence that he'll make the offensive adjustments necessary to be more than just a ground-ball guy with elite speed. (Spring 2024)

Justin has work to do to make the most of his capabilities. Presently, his speed helps mask reads, routes and jumps that scouts believe could stand to be sharpened. If he makes those improvements, he could develop into an above-average defender. If he does have to move to a corner, his average arm strength (50 grade) would fit in left field, but his offensive game fits much better in center. (Josh Norris - BAPH - Spring, 2023)

Crawford has the chance to be a plus defender in center field when all is said and done, with an above-average arm. The combination of bloodlines and ceiling -- he’ll certainly fill out his 6-foot-3 frame -- already has the Phillies' player development staff excited. (Spring 2022)

Justin has a long arm action on his throws with big whip at the release. His throws are strong and accurate. He grades 50 for his arm and a 60 defender. 

2024 All-Star Futures Game: Player who most resembled their major-league father: Justin Crawford.

Crawford made the best catch of the day on a diving play to rob a single in the first, which brought back memories of his dad, former Gold Glover Carl Crawford, who made several similar catches when he was the left fielder for the Rays.  (Bowden - Jul 14, 2024 - The Athletic)

Justin is an elite runner, running a 6.11 in the 60-yard dash for a 70 grade -- with a few evaluators saying it is 80 grade. He gets out of the box quickly from the left side of the plate and covering tons of ground when underway with long, graceful, loping strides.

2022 Season: The Phillies have a lot of speed in their system, with four members of their Top 30 getting 70 speed grades. Crawford, the club’s first-round pick in 2022 and son of former MLB speedster Carl, gets the nod among the quartet. He swiped 10 bags during his pro debut and has the chance to be known for much more than just his speed, which he already knows how to use on both sides of the ball.

2024 Season Fastest runner in Top 100 prospects: Justin Crawford, OF, Phillies (75)

Crawford was known for his wheels coming out of Bishop Gorman High School in Las Vegas, and he’s hit the ground running through two full seasons of pro ball. He swiped 47 bags in 2023 and added 42 more thefts last year as he reached Double-A Reading. His 89 steals rank 17th in the Minor Leagues in that span, and no one else in the Top 100 has more than 66. (S Dykstra - MLB.com - Jan 27, 2025)