Carl Crawford

Organization Prospect Rankings

• 
  Ranked Tampa Bay Rays #2 prospect in 2002
  Crawford was one of the youngest players in Double-A last year. After leading the South Atlantic League in hits and stolen bases in 2000, Crawford skipped high Class A and overcame initial struggles to rank third in the Southern League in steals and fifth in hits. He continued to blossom with a fast start in the Arizona Fall League before joining Team USA in World Cup competition in Taiwan in November. A potential fourtool player, Crawford is a pure athlete who had basketball and football scholarship offers from big-time colleges. He has great speed, quick wrists and a good idea of how to hit. His superior work ethic rivals that of any player in the system, and he's considered the Devil Rays' most coachable prospect. Crawford's arm is his lone below-average tool. His baseball instincts, such as taking the correct routes on fly balls, should get better with experience. His pitch recognition and ability to work counts need improvement, and his swing could use some refinement. The temptation for a player developing as quickly as Crawford would be to give him a taste of the big leagues. Tampa Bay, however, is scheduled to send Crawford to Triple-A Durham in 2002.
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  Ranked Tampa Bay Rays #3 prospect in 2001
  Crawford passed up football at Nebraska and basketball at UCLA. A $1.245 million bonus from the Devil Rays helped him make that decision. Despite limited experience, he has hit better than .300 and ranked among his league's top 10 prospects in each of his first two seasons. He led the South Atlantic League in hits and stolen bases in 2000. The Devil Rays rave about Crawford's ability to take instruction and put it to use. His enthusiasm is apparent, and he never seems intimidated. His best tool is his world-class speed, which helps him avoid long dry spells at the plate. He has improved his bunting ability, making his speed even more valuable. Crawford didn't play much baseball in high school, and his inexperience sometimes shows. He needs more at-bats to gain a better handle on the strike zone and more innings in the field to discover the nuances of playing solid defense. His arm is below average. Crawford could bypass high Class A and open 2001 in Double-A. The Devil Rays insist he isn't on a timetable. He'll probably push Hamilton to an outfield corner when both are ready for the majors.

Minor League Top Prospects

• 
  Ranked International League #1 prospect in 2002
  Crawford has flashed all five tools at times, and his best two are his speed and ability to hit for a high average. As one of the youngest players in the IL, he jumped out to a hot start, hitting .350 through early June. He has shown the ability to make adjustments at the plate, though he still needs to hang in better against lefties. He possesses explosive speed but still needs to work on reading pitchers and getting better jumps to become more of a basestealing threat. If he can learn to draw walks, he'll become a prototypical leadoff man. Crawford can really run down balls in the outfield, but may play left field because his arm is below average. Durham manager Bill Evers did say Crawford threw better than expected and has improved his accuracy. "He can be a very special player," Evers said. "He should hit a few more homers the older he gets, and he won't have too many long slumps with his speed. And he can bunt."
• 
  Ranked Southern League #10 prospect in 2001
  Opposing managers were impressed with the way the teenage Crawford handled himself while being overmatched early in the season. He refused to pout and learned from his mistakes, enabling the fleet-footed outfielder to place third in the league in stolen bases and fifth in hits. With his athleticism and all-out approach, he drew comparisons to Terrence Long. A renowned football player in high school, Crawford has lightning-quick hands that help him compensate for some of his mistakes at the plate. Most managers agreed that he needs some refinements with his swing and must stay within himself instead of trying to do too much at the plate. Some skippers thought those adjustments would come with experience, while others were not as sure. "He's got great tools, great speed and a good idea about how to hit," Jacksonville hitting coach Gene Richards said. "You can't beat a guy with the tools he has. And the scary part is he's only going to get better." "I don't know if there's enough baseball instinct there," an Eastern Division manager said. "Things don't come real easy on the diamond for him. He could be a solid role player, but I don't know if he's going to hit for enough power to earn a starting job in the big leagues."
• 
  Ranked South Atlantic League #6 prospect in 2000
  Crawford could have played football at Nebraska or basketball at UCLA. Instead he’s on a path to play in the Tampa Bay outfield next to Josh Hamilton. Crawford hung tough throughout his first full pro season to lead the SAL in hits, an extraordinary accomplishment for a player unfamiliar with year-round baseball before 2000. "He has heart and he battles everyday," Montoyo said. "He got better defensively and for such a young guy who hasn’t played that much baseball, he stayed tough at the plate until the end and never complained a bit." Crawford is smart and inquisitive, virtues that led to his gaudy basestealing percentage. He’s still not a polished outfielder and doesn’t hit the ball hard very often. But he’s strong and will get more comfortable at the plate, which should lead to some decent lefthanded power numbers.
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  Ranked American League #7 prospect in 1999
  Crawford, who turned down a scholarship to play football at Nebraska, is an outstanding athlete. He has a chance to be at least a four-tool player, lacking only a plus throwing arm. His best asset at this point is his speed, but he will develop more power as he plays more and matures into his body. He moved to center field after Hamilton was promoted to the New York-Penn League. His biggest drawback might be his cocky attitude, but if he backs it up, that will be overlooked. "The only thing he doesn't do is throw," Mull said. "He should hit for more power as he gets bigger. He can fly."

Top 100 Rankings

• Ranked Baseball America's #59 prospect in 2002
• Ranked Baseball America's #72 prospect in 2001

• December, 1999 Scouting Report
  Crawford could have played football at Nebraska or basketball at UCLA. Instead he’s on a path to play in the Tampa Bay outfield next to Josh Hamilton. Crawford hung tough throughout his first full pro season to lead the SAL in hits, an extraordinary accomplishment for a player unfamiliar with year-round baseball before 2000. "He has heart and he battles everyday," Montoyo said. "He got better defensively and for such a young guy who hasn’t played that much baseball, he stayed tough at the plate until the end and never complained a bit." Crawford is smart and inquisitive, virtues that led to his gaudy basestealing percentage. He’s still not a polished outfielder and doesn’t hit the ball hard very often. But he’s strong and will get more comfortable at the plate, which should lead to some decent lefthanded power numbers.