3 Reasons JP Crawford is the answer going forward for the Mariners at shortstop

JP Crawford is walking at an incredible rate... that's sustainable

I think his eye at the plate is what has me most excited, and it goes just beyond walking a lot. That's where we will start, though. JP Crawford is walking at a higher rate than nearly anyone else in baseball, sitting at T-8th currently in BB% from drawing 24 walks. His career average heading in 2023 was 10.3%, and he is currently at 18.8% for the season. It could be a fluke, but when I look at some of his other numbers, I think this is something sustainable.

For those who don't use it, Baseball Savant is excellent for those who like analytics, behind-the-scenes stats, and raw numbers. They also have a handy tool that shows you if a player is cold/hot in specific stats and tracks it over their career. JP Crawford is excelling in all the stats leading to a great BB rate. Chase rate, whiff rate, he's taking more pitches and hitting balls cleaner, and as mentioned above, he is hitting the ball WAY harder than ever before.

The Mariners offense is bound to start clicking at some point (that's what I'm going to keep telling myself... it helps me sleep at night) and Crawford is going to benefit immensely from that. He's making smart decisions at the plate, hitting the ball hard, and making pitchers work each and every at-bat. I think JP Crawford is turning a corner, and Mariners fans should be excited.