Is It Time for Phillies to Call Up Talented Outfield Prospect Justin Crawford?

It's the time of the year where the top teams in MLB are making big additions to their roster.

Whether that comes in the form of a blockbuster trade or a call-up of a top prospect, new faces are set to inject additional talent and energy.

The Philadelphia Phillies are certainly a team to watch in both regards. The farm system is littered with multiple high-upside talents on the doorstep of MLB, and president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski is always ready to be active on the trade market.

The Phillies are locked in a tight battle with the New York Mets for first place in the National League East division, and the outfield is a clear area for improvement.

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Will Philadelphia land a big-name outfielder like Luis Robert Jr. in a trade, or will a top prospect like Justin Crawford be the sparkplug that improves the unit?

Is Justin Crawford the Solution to Phillies' Outfield Woes?

In a thought exercise for MLB.com, analysts Jim Callis and Jonathan Mayo conducted a four-round draft of top 100 prospects in the MLB Pipeline rankings who are most likely and deserving of making their MLB debut next.

With the second of the eight picks, Mayo landed on Crawford for his first selection.

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"Crawford has hit at every level and he's raking at Triple-A, hitting .336/.413/.429 with 26 steals through 59 games," Mayo wrote. "The Phillies have a need right now in left field and are currently trying No. 24 prospect Otto Kemp -- a natural infielder -- at the position."

In making the counterargument for why Crawford's debut might not be right around the corner, Mayo noted that he would be another left-handed bat on a team full of them, and specifically would not be able to platoon with veteran and fellow lefty Max Kepler.

Crawford is everything that has been lacking in Philadelphia's outfield during the team's run of World Series contention.

He's defensively capable and fast, having already racked up 26 stolen bases with Lehigh Valley.

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His power tool is far from elite, but everything else is there. He's getting on base at a phenomenal clip, and when he puts the ball in play, it tends to find the outfield grass for a hit.

Fortunately for the Phillies, they have plenty of power in their lineup already and don't need that from any new addition.

What they do need is what Crawford provides— speed, defense and a good approach at the plate.

Lefty or not, it's time to see what he can bring to the lineup.

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