SODO MOJO
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Mariners shortstop JP Crawford has found some offense

By Christopher O'Day

BALTIMORE, MD - APRIL 15: Dylan Moore #25 of the Seattle Mariners celebrates scoring on J.P. Crawford #3 (not pictured) double in the sixth during game one of a doubleheader against the Seattle Mariners at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on April 15, 2021 in Baltimore Maryland. All players are wearing the number 42 in honor of Jackie Robinson Day. (Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images)
BALTIMORE, MD - APRIL 15: Dylan Moore #25 of the Seattle Mariners celebrates scoring on J.P. Crawford #3 (not pictured) double in the sixth during game one of a doubleheader against the Seattle Mariners at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on April 15, 2021 in Baltimore Maryland. All players are wearing the number 42 in honor of Jackie Robinson Day. (Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images) /
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Disclaimer. I know that isn’t JP Crawford in the picture. It is instead Dylan Moore, who he drove in as the go-ahead run. Now, back to the regularly scheduled article. JP Crawford has had two different seasons up to this point. There were the first seven games of the season, and over the last five, he has looked like a completely different person for the Mariners.

We wondered a lot during the offseason if he was going to be able to provide enough offense for the team to be able to stick around at shortstop. Further than that, we wanted to know if he was going to be more than just a guy in the lineup, but that someone you could rely on as one of the best players on your team.

Through the first seven games of the season, he was really struggling. A .160 batting average from going 4-25, with just one walk, one RBI, and three runs. The defense was still there, of course, but the bat just hadn’t shown up yet. For someone with a lackluster hitting history, you had to ride the line of concern or early-season small sample size.

Since then, JP Crawford has been one of the best hitters on the Seattle Mariners.

Over the last five games, he has answered that question, laying waste to those doubting him. He has since gone 7-17 with a five-game hitting streak, including knocking in the go-ahead runs in the opening victory of a doubleheader against the Orioles as they won 4-2. If he can keep it going it the latter half, it’s going to cap off a great finish to the road trip for Crawford.

There is a bit of a worry though, as Crawford has just one walk on the season, and has yet to hit anything other than a single, outside of the go-ahead double today. If someone is going to rake like this though, I’ll take singles all day.

Again, this is all a small sample size. Well, two of them, laid back-to-back. He isn’t going to be a .160 hitter, but he also isn’t going to hit .429. Hopefully, the answer lies in the middle, at his current average of .256. Either way, one thing is for certain… JP Crawford is raking right now.

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