Justin Crawford is one of the top prospects in the Phillies organization. (Cheryl Pursell)
During Thursday's year-end press conference, Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski named a few young players that could contribute to the Phillies in 2026.
"I'm not going to declare that anybody has a job, but there will be some people that we're really open-minded to being with our big league club next year, coming out of Spring Training," Dombrowski said.
The first player he named was Justin Crawford, the Phillies' 2022 first-round pick.
In 2025, the Phillies' roster was the eighth-oldest in baseball with an average age of 28.9. The 14 position players on the Phillies' NLDS roster were 30.2 years old on average.
Luckily the Phillies have some youth knocking on the door of the big leagues, namely Crawford, who will be just 22 years old on Opening Day.
Crawford, the Phillies' No. 3 prospect and baseball's No. 54 prospect, spent the full 2025 season with the Triple-A Lehigh Valley IronPigs. His .334 batting average led the International League. In 112 games played, he hit 23 doubles, four triples and seven home runs. He paced the IronPigs with an impressive 46 stolen bases, and his .863 OPS also led the team among qualified players.
"I don't know what else he really does at the minor league level at this point," Dombrowski said.
Manager Rob Thomson echoed that sentiment.
"Not much more you can do in the minor leagues for him," Thomson said. "It'll be very interesting next Spring Training, because those guys are on the doorstep, and a couple of them are ready to go. So we'll see."
When Dombrowski discussed Crawford's future in the big leagues, it felt like a sure thing. More than once, he name-dropped Crawford without being prompted to.
"Max Kepler did a solid job for us, right? Well, he's not going to, most likely, be back, because he's a free agent, and we have Justin Crawford coming," Dombrowski said.
So what does Dombrowski need to see from Crawford to make that sure thing a reality come Opening Day?
"He needs to go to camp and just do what he's basically been doing," Dombrowski said. "He's led leagues in hitting, he can steal bases, he's a good energy guy, he's a solid outfielder. You want somebody to come in and just keep their head above water."
It's a fine line with prospects. You want to help them grow, but you don't want to overwhelm them. Dombrowski knows that all too well. When it comes to Crawford, though, he doesn't think the bright lights of the big leagues will be too much for him.
"But he still needs to show it," Dombrowski added.
2025 was Crawford's first full season with a single team. From 2022 to 2024, he was promoted once a season, and Dombrowski said he handled every promotion well.
"He has never been overwhelmed when he's been with us at any level, and we keep moving him up," Dombrowski said.
And, of course, Crawford already has a Major League Baseball background, thanks to his father, 15-year MLB veteran Carl Crawford.
Justin Crawford leads off the game for Lehigh Valley with his third home run of the season to give the IronPigs a 1-0 lead pic.twitter.com/mV5aWUiouK
Along with Andrew Painter and Aidan Miller, Crawford is part of a trio of top Phillies prospects who could potentially see the field in 2026. Thomson thinks the upcoming youth movement will be good for everyone.
"I love young players, because they always bring energy, you know? They have to perform, too," Thomson said. "I love having young players around. I think it boosts the energy of the team, the experienced guys, the fanbase. The fanbase loves watching young kids have success."
Thomson served as the New York Yankees' director of player development from 2000 to 2002. He said Thursday he "always feels like" he's a player development guy, and that seeing prospects like Crawford on the rise is exciting.
"I love young kids. I love seeing them grow and getting better, getting to the big leagues, reaching their goals, their dreams," Thomson said. "It's always exciting for me."
By all accounts, Crawford is doing all the right things. If he keeps doing them, Phillies fans could see him sooner rather than later.
"You really want to just see that he just continues to handle himself the same way that he has," Dombrowski said.
