The Seattle Mariners are in position to compete for an American League Wild Card spot com, and MLBbro shortstop J.P. Crawford has been getting things done on the field for his team.
This season, Crawford has displayed leadership skills for the Mariners and manager Scott Servais has noticed.
“I guess if I had to have a team MVP, at this point in the season, he would be the guy,” Servais told the Seattle Times back in July. “Certainly defensively, he’s as solid as they come. But what he’s done offensively, the improvements he’s made, he finds a way to get on base. He’s got a knack for having big at-bats in big moments. He’s always done that since he’s been here, but the consistency, he’s gotten better.”
“We talking about the ball jumping off his bat. He’s driving the ball more consistently, and we’re seeing more extra-base hits. And he does all that by playing every day. He wants to be out there. He wants to be the guy.”
Crawford is the definition of a competitor. He’s willing to do whatever it takes to put his team in a position to win.
“Ten days ago, things weren’t looking so good,’’ Servais said during the All-Star break. “And our guys got together, with J.P. really leading the pack. … He shows up every day, he competes his tail off. He’s loud when he needs to be in the clubhouse, he’s locked in during the game. He’s just focused on what we need to do to win the game. He doesn’t get caught up in some things that are going against us, a bad call, what the other team’s doing. He’s just doing the right things day in, day out and it pays off over the long haul.”
During the second half of the season, Crawford has shown significant improvements at the plate. Through 104 games, he’s hitting .263 with nine home runs and 36 RBI.
“I was putting myself in a bad spot to fire, so I was trying to clean up my loading and really use the force from your legs,” he said in spring training. “Using that kinetic energy to work all the way up through your body and just get more oomph on the ball.”
Crawford has secured that lead-off spot in the lineup, and we get a chance to see him set the tone for the offense.
And let’s not forget how talented he is at the shortstop position. His ability to make big time plays in crucial situations makes him one of the best in the league. Throughout his career, he’s had a .930 or better fielding percentage. Crawford is a complete player and someone you want to have in your lineup. Now in his seventh season, Crawford continues to show why he’s an elite player.
Seattle has won 12 of their last 16 games and are making it a tight Wild Card race in the AL.
The MLBbro will continue to go out and compete every day and make sure his team has the right mindset throughout the remainder of the season. He’s peaking as a veteran and after leading the team to the playoffs for the first time in two decades last season, Crawford is ready to help them take it to the next level.
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