Seattle Mariners Manager Dan Wilson Discusses Mindset of Shortstop JP Crawford
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The Seattle Mariners offense was plagued with injuries, inconsistency and down seasons in 2024. It's safe to assume all the returning players are eager to put last season behind them and turn toward 2025. Mariners manager Dan Wilson confirmed that's the case for at least one of the team's most important veterans.
Seattle starting shortstop JP Crawford was one of the players that dealt with injuries and had a down year in 2024. He had two separate stints on the injured list. His first was due to a right oblique strain that kept him out from April 25-May 20. The second was a right hand fracture that had him on the shelf from July 23-Aug. 28.
Crawford's defense didn't suffer from his ailments. He had a .991 fielding percentage. His offense wasn't so lucky.
Crawford hit .202 with nine home runs and 37 RBIs in 105 games and lost his role as the team's lead-off hitter to outfielder Victor Robles.
J.P. CRAWFORD GRAND SLAM pic.twitter.com/CY2lxpJgMJ
— Talkin’ Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) June 2, 2024
Wilson talked about meeting with Crawford in the offseason and the mentality the infielder has going into 2025 in a news conference posted on the Mariners YouTube channel on Feb. 16.
"I think J.P's a pretty positive guy," Wilson said. "And I know in talking with him in the offseason, I think the energy just kind of flowed out of him about how excited he was about this year and the upcoming year. I think in some ways, he's probably turned the page and he's looking forward. And that's a great skill to have in this game, you have to do that a lot. And, again, just having a chance to see him. I left there thinking his energy was so contagious, just listening to him and him discussing the excitement about what's ahead. And it showed yesterday already and I'm excited to get this thing rolling here with everybody here in a couple days and then get into games. It starts to get exciting as the momentum starts to build with all these guys."
Crawford's down season came after a 2023 where he hit .266 with a career-high 19 home runs and 65 RBIs.
Crawford is one of the most respected veterans on the team and is considered Seattle's unofficial captain. If Crawford returns completely healthy and has a season closer to 2023 than 2024, the bottom half of the lineup will get a huge boost.
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