Seattle Mariners Celebrate Birthday of Starting Shortstop JP Crawford

The Seattle Mariners are still looking to make their first "big" move of the offseason. The Mariners still have needs at first base, second base and third base.
But one thing that isn't in question is who the starting shortstop will be in 2025.
JP Crawford has manned the infield for several years with Seattle. A lot of Crawford's formative major league seasons have been spent in the Pacific Northwest. Now, he's one of the most respected veterans on the team, and has the moniker of "captain."
Crawford celebrated his 30th birthday on Jan. 11, and the Mariners made a post on "X" (formerly known as Twitter) to celebrate their starting shortstop.
Happy birthday, J.P.! 🥳🏄‍♂️🌊 pic.twitter.com/u7uCkmeilU
— Seattle Mariners (@Mariners) January 11, 2025
Crawford was acquired in a trade with the Philadelphia Phillies on Dec. 8, 2018, and signed a five-year, $51 million contract extension on April 8, 2022. If Crawford sees through the contract, he would have an eight-year stint in Seattle, which would be the longest on the roster.
Crawford has seen some of the most iconic moments in recent Mariners history since he was acquired from the Phillies. He was on the infield for the last start of pitcher Felix Hernandez's 15-year career and saw the team break their 21-year playoff drought in 2022.
Crawford dealt with injuries and inconsistencies in 2024. He missed over a month with a broken pinky finger after getting hit by a pitch. It was his second month-long stint on the injured list after suffering an oblique strain earlier in the year. He finished 2024 with a .202 batting average with nine home runs and 37 RBIs in 105 games played.
Seattle President of Baseball Operations Jerry Dipoto was confident in Crawford's ability to bounce back in 2025. In 2023, Crawford had career-highs in home runs (19) and RBIs (65) while hitting .266 in 145 games played.
JP CRAWFORD GRAN SLAM pic.twitter.com/KiIyTefzJj
— Seattle Mariners ON Tap (@MarinersONTap) June 2, 2024
Crawford shared a video earlier in the offseason of him putting in work at the Driveline training facility. And if he's able to regain his 2023 form, the Mariners bottom half of the order will be a lot more effective.
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