How J.P. Crawford's final act strengthens his case for the Mariners Hall of Fame

He's not always the most noticeable player, but to say that J.P. Crawford has been an integral part of what the Mariners have accomplished over the past few years would be an understatement. Since the Phillies sent him to Seattle in exchange for Jean Segura in late 2018, the only position players to accumulate more fWAR have been Julio Rodríguez (21.9) and Cal Raleigh (23.3).

Aside from a Gold Glove win in 2020 and placing 16th in AL MVP voting in 2023, Crawford doesn't have much hardware to show for his efforts. Nonetheless, he is the longest-tenured member of the team and, although unofficial, his title of captain is one that undoubtedly holds weight in the locker room. Over the years, he has done what he believed to be best for the team and in 2026, he's making yet another selfless move that should earn him a place among the best to ever suit up for the club.

J.P. Crawford's willingness to move to third base should help his case for a future Mariners Hall of Fame induction

The unfortunate reality of Seattle's recent call-up of Colt Emerson was that it was the direct result of some concerning signals from Crawford this season. The veteran has been solid at the plate, posting a 110 wRC+ so far, but his defensive production has suffered according to both Outs Above Average (-7) and Defensive Runs Saved (-7).

Rather than trying to fight the inevitable, Crawford has instead committed to doing whatever it takes to get Emerson up to speed at the big league level, including moving over to third base, a position he hasn't played since 2018. To him, he stated that his ultimate goal was to be a "Mariner for life" and that ceding his natural position to a younger talent was a step in that direction.

Of all the position players in Mariners history, Crawford's 17.7 fWAR places him 13th, just above Adrian Beltré (16.1) and right below Bret Boone (19.7). However, making it into the Mariners Hall of Fame is about far more than just statistics. Dan Wilson had just 14.6 fWAR with the team yet was honored for his role in Seattle's only four postseason appearances before 2022. Similarly, Crawford was an important piece of the two Seattle rosters that have made it to the playoffs since.

His proposal to move to third base comes with its own concerns but at the very least, it shows that his priorities are in the right place. The Mariners will have no shortage of exceptional talent from this generation to consider for induction into their Hall of Fame and Crawford's statistical case may not be the most compelling. But it's hard to deny that to him, the team and city of Seattle have always come first. Even though his commitment to the cause isn't exactly quantifiable, it's easy to say that no one exemplifies it better than him.

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