JP Crawford Is On His Way To A Second Gold Glove & Possibly His First Taste Of MLB Playoff Life

As the 2021 season is coming to an end, one player is out here balling and showing why he’s one of the best in the game.

That player is our fellow MLBbro J.P. Crawford. Crawford has been tearing up lately and he’s been a big reason why the Seattle Mariners are still in the playoff hunt.

He continues to show why he’s a Gold Glove winner and he’s on the verge of winning his second straight Gold Glove award. Crawford is a competitor and always wants to put his team in the best position to win games.

And he can do just that on the field and at the plate. 

 

On Tuesday, September 21st, the Mariners were playing in a must-win game against the Oakland Athletics, and Crawford made a big-time play. During the game, he made a diving stop at short to throw at a runner to end the inning. For some, it may have seemed like a tremendous play, but for Crawford, it was another play because that is something he does consistently.

“He lays out, gets up and throws an absolute dart across the field,” manager Scott Servais said. “That ball should’ve never been close. He’s got that kind of defensive ability.”

Not too long later, he made another diving play which he made look effortless. He just brings that swag to the game and makes those difficult plays look easy.

“It’s just something you just react to,” Crawford said after the game against the Athletics. “You just try to judge whether it’s gonna be an in-between hop or a long hop. So many thoughts can go through your head in such a short amount of time to where you just react to the ball. You just don’t think about stuff like that. You just make the play.”

While he’s been out here making plays on the field, his bat has been electric. During his last seven games, he’s hit .364 while slugging .545. He’s hit one home run with four RBI during that span. As of September 27th, he’s been on a five-game hitting streak and has hit safely in seven of his last eight games.

 

Throughout his career, Crawford has always displayed his athleticism on the field and that’s a big reason why he’s one of the best in the game. His teammates have certainly taken notice of his abilities and they know that the sky’s the limit for him.

“J.P. Crawford, man, I feel like every night it’s something special with him,” teammate Marc Gonzales said. “He should just have his name etched on it right now. The guy’s special. We call them ‘the unicorn’ for a reason. He just does it all. I hope everyone appreciates him as much as I do.”

“There’s a lot of really good shortstops in the American League, but nobody flashes the leather like J.P.,” Servais said. “It’s just the range, the athleticism and his ability to finish plays. He’s a Gold Glover if I’ve ever seen one. There’s no question about that.”

The 26-year-old is looking for his first playoff appearance and the Mariners are fighting for that Wild Card spot in the American League. J.P. Crawford is a name that people in baseball will be talking about for years to come.