Phillies Rookie Flying Under Radar as Unsung Hero of Team

A Philadelphia Phillies rookie is producing at an incredibly high level after a slow start.

May 2, 2026; Miami, Florida, USA; Philadelphia Phillies starting hats and gloves sit on the bench against the Miami Marlins during the fifth inning at loanDepot Park. Mandatory Credit: Rhona Wise-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

This season has been a roller coaster ride for the Philadelphia Phillies, who have seen some incredible highs and some frustrating lows.

Entering play on Sept. 17, they are right in the thick of the National League playoff picture. They currently sit in second place in the National League Wild Card standings, a half-game behind the Chicago Cubs for first and a game ahead of the San Diego Padres, who are in third.

To continue climbing the standings, they are going to need everyone to play at a high level, especially with Jesus Luzardo sidelined because of shoulder stiffness. Andrew Painter is one of the players who are going to have to step up in his absence and continue pitching at the level he has since coming back to the Major Leagues.

However, he isn’t the only rookie who the team has been receiving incredible production from. Justin Crawford deserves a lot of credit for the turnaround he has had this year, solidifying himself as a key part of the team’s success over the last few months.

Justin Crawford has been bright spot for Phillies

Sep 8, 2026; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Phillies outfielder Justin Crawford (2) runs to first after hitting a double against the Houston Astros in the sixth inning at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Ross-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

As shared by Slim on X, the rookie center fielder has made remarkable strides with his performance at the plate. Crawford saw a 35% increase in his OPS from May to August, improving from a lowly .565 to a more than respectable .761.

What aided in the turnaround? He started making more contact, slashing his strikeout rate from 19.3%, which was already below the league average, to 8.3%, which is a truly elite number. Good things happen when putting the ball in play, which the Phillies have found out as a whole.

In August, Philadelphia had one of the most productive offenses in the MLB because they were being a lot more selective with the pitches they swung at. Their walk rate increased, their strikeouts and home runs decreased, but they won more games.

Justin Crawford keeps getting better as the season goes on.

From May to August, his OPS jumped from .565 to .761, a 35% increase, while his strikeout rate fell from 19.3% to just 8.3%, a 57% drop.

And he’s doing this as a 22 year old rookie.

That’s good. 📈 https://t.co/WG2bydqB84

— Slim (@TRC_Slim) September 14, 2026

A lot of credit for the turnaround was given to the acquisition of Luis Arraez, who provided elite protection for Bryce Harper in the lineup. His addition certainly helped, but it was the buy-in from players like Crawford that made it truly successful, lengthening the lineup and turning the Phillies into a more dangerous team beyond the top four batters.

Through June, the rookie center fielder had 55 strikeouts. Since the calendar turned to July, he has only 20, which is the same number of strikeouts he had in June alone. The turnaround has been real, putting to bed any concerns that arose earlier in the year.

Currently riding a seven-game hitting streak, Crawford has done a wonderful job of producing at the bottom of the order, operating essentially as a second leadoff man, creating run-producing opportunities for the best hitters in the lineup.

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