J.P. Crawford has gotten the message from his move down Mariners lineup

Even for a player as steady and seasoned as J.P. Crawford, the game of baseball will always find ways to challenge a veteran’s pride.

The longtime Seattle Mariners shortstop has been a foundational piece of the franchise since 2019, bringing Gold Glove defense, steady leadership, and a gritty brand of baseball to the diamond every day. He’s seen the rebuild, the near-playoff runs, and the heartbreaks. Through it all, he’s remained a mainstay, and often overlooked.

In 2023, Crawford put up a career-best season that earned him down-ballot MVP recognition. But the following years have tested him in many ways. As is often the case for leadoff hitters, especially those at a premium position like shortstop, the expectations are sky-high, and the lows are unforgiving. Over his last 35 games atop the order, Crawford hit just .219 with a meager .261 on-base percentage and a single home run. His at-bats remained competitive, but the production was no longer sustainable at the top of a lineup.

J.P. Crawford has made the Mariners’ deep lineup even scarier

With the Mariners reloading at the trade deadline with deals for Josh Naylor and Eugenio Suárez, manager Dan Wilson had the pieces to restructure his order, and Crawford’s name was one of the first to move: from table-setter to hitting eighth.

For some players, that’s a gut punch. For Crawford, it’s motivation.

Since the lineup reshuffle, Crawford has gone 4-for-15, with two of those hits being game-winning home runs. And more importantly, he’s embraced the new role with the same grit that’s defined his entire Mariners tenure.

“A ton of composure from him right there,” Logan Gilbert told MLB.com’s Daniel Kramer after Crawford’s clutch performance. “Whether it’s leadoff, eighth, it doesn’t matter. He’s going to find a way. But I mean, this is the most complete team I think we’ve ever had, especially from the lineup, top to bottom. I’ve never seen anything like it. It’s probably up there, if not the best, one of the best, in the league.”

That’s not hyperbole. This Mariners lineup is suddenly deep, relentless, and dynamic. It doesn’t give opposing pitchers any breathing room. And Crawford, batting eighth, is a nightmare ingredient in the bottom half. He grinds every at-bat, can change a game with a well-timed swing, and thrives on proving people wrong.

Don’t mistake his calm presence for passivity. Crawford is fiercely competitive. Being dropped from the leadoff spot isn’t something a player of his caliber shrugs off, it’s a message heard loud and clear. He responded not with complaints, but with home runs. Not by sulking, but by showing why a deep lineup with J.P. Crawford lurking near the bottom is the type of depth championship teams are made of.

Especially when the nine-hole is occupied by a rising star like Cole Young, who’s beginning to put it all together at the plate. With both heating up, and the top of the order looming, the Mariners could turn into a nightmare matchup from 1 to 9.