Be
sure to learn about the next wave of talent as the rosters for this
year's Perfect Game All-American Classic are announced starting at
3:30 p.m. ET as part of a live, online streamed broadcast on MLB.com.
Learn more abou the 2015 PG All-American Classic here.
Also see: PG alumni fill All-Star rosters
CINCINNATI
– Another gathering of young talent as part of the annual All-Star
Game festivities brought together another gathering of familiar
faces. Five former Perfect Game All-Americans – Lucas Giolito, J.P.
Crawford, Nick Williams, Richie Shaffer and Tyler Beede – were
named to the 2015 Futures Game rosters, while 19 of the 25 members
that were selected to the U.S. Team were former Perfect Game
participants.
Another
three members of the World Team – Orlando Berrios, Edwin Ediaz and
Joe Jimenez – have also spent time at Perfect Game events during
their amateur careers.
Two
of the former PG All-Americans were J.P. Crawford and Nick Williams,
both of whom are now playing at the Double-A level for their
respective organizations, the Philadelphia Phillies and the Texas
Rangers, just a phone call away from making the next, and hopefully
last, jump to the big leagues.
Both
players have had the chance to watch some of their All-American
brethren make that very jump this year, with a notable young talent
infusion coming in the form of Kris Bryant, Addison Russell, Carlos
Correa, Lance McCullers, Joey Gallo, and most recently, Francisco
Lindor. These are among the best and brightest young stars of the
future in Major League Baseball, and each one of them made a stop
through the PG All-American Classic on their quest for greatness.
Crawford
and Williams are on that very same path.
Crawford,
who was recently named the No. 4 overall prospect at the midpoint of
the 2015 season by Baseball Prospectus, was drafted by the Phillies
in 2013 as the 16th overall pick. A lefthanded hitting
shortstop, Crawford displayed legitimate two-way abilities, with
five-tool talents as a middle infielder with the ability to dial his
fastball into the low-90s from the mound with a pretty sharp breaking
ball to go with it.
2015
marked the second year in a row that Crawford was named to the
Futures Game, going 1-for-2 a year ago, scoring on the memorable
two-run blast off the bat of yet another PG All-American, Joey Gallo.
This year Crawford went 1-for-3, driving a run home with an RBI
single while also scoring a run on Kyle Schwarber's two-run triple.
And
what makes this annual fixture of the Midsummer Classic so
interesting is that the game is not so much different from PG's own
All-American Classic. While the Futures Game showcases 50 of the top
minor league prospects at a big-league ballpark in a U.S. vs. World
team-by-team format, the PG All-American Classic does the same at
Petco every August in an East vs. West matchup.
“That
was huge. One of the biggest moments in my life with some of the best
talent coming up in the draft in high school,” Crawford said of the
PG All-American Classic before the Futures Game from Cincinnati on
Sunday. “It was a great honor for me and I was happy to be a part
of that. I still talk to a lot of those guys. (I) played against
(Rob) Kaminsky this year, Dommo (Dominic Smith), Chris (Rivera); we
still talk a lot. It's all good, I'm happy that I played with all of
them.”
Few
players, if any, from the 2012 PG All-American Classic have enjoyed
as much success as Crawford since beginning his professional career
just two years ago.
He
opened his career in the Gulf Coast League before getting the bump to
the Low-A South Atlantic League, producing a .308/.405/.400 triple
slash line between the two levels and showing little to no problems
adjusting to life in pro ball.
During
his first full year as a professional in 2014, once again spread
across two levels (the South Atlantic League and the Florida State
League), Crawford hit .285/.375/.406.
This
year he once again opened the year in the Florida State League with
Clearwater, but after hitting .392/.489/.443 in 21 games he was
promoted in late May to play for the Fightin Phils of Reading at the
Double-A level in the Eastern League, where he hit .273/.378/.400 in
the 39 games prior to the Futures Game.
“Playing
ball. Playing baseball and living the dream,” Crawford simply put
of his success since beginning his pro career. “That's about it.
I'm now here in the Phillies organization, they've trained me well
and they've given me chances, opportunities, to play everyday.”
With
so many talented players being called up this season and enjoying an
immediate impact, Crawford is one of the most talented that still
remains in the minor leagues.
“The
thing that stands out about Crawford is the refinement at such a
young age,” Baseball Prospectus' Jeff Moore told Perfect Game from
Great American Ballpark on Sunday. “I saw it last year in the
Florida State League (and) I've heard the same thing this year in
Double-A; he just looks like he's playing on a different level than
anyone else and he's one of the younger players at every level.
“So
it's not there's just these elite, standouts tools, it's just they're
all so good and he's already such a refined player. And you just
don't see that, anywhere, let alone at an up-the-middle position.”
When
talking about Crawford and his future it's hard not to point out that
his parent club, the Philadelphia Phillies, are currently the worst
team in baseball and will be turning to talented young players to
serve as part of the resurgence needed to turn the organization
around. And it's not unheard of, as look no further to what former
All-Americans such as Kris Bryant and Carlos Correa are doing for the
Cubs and Astros.
“It's
a great honor for me, especially with this guy we just drafted, Aaron
Nola,” Crawford said motioning to his Futures Game and Phillies
organizational teammate. “He's one of the best pitchers that I've
seen in the organization and the league by far. You look at the
trades we made last offseason and I think we have some good pieces
that will impact our future for the Phillies.”
Williams
has also seen the impact young players can make on the game, as his
teammate, both in the Rangers' organization and on the 2011 Perfect
Game All-American Classic, Joey Gallo, has already received a taste
of the big leagues.
“They
make a lot of (aggressive) moves,” the native Texan Williams said
of his Rangers. “They've been calling players up, the last two
years, out of Double-A really fast. Especially my teammate, (Joey)
Gallo, he just went right up. It's awesome knowing I could represent
my home state and that there's a chance at any time that I could help
them win.”
That
2011 roster for the Classic is looking pretty special. Already
mentioned are Williams, Correa, Gallo, Giolito, Russell and
McCullers. Add in this year's College Pitcher of the Year, Carson
Fulmer; the No. 1 overall pick in the NFL Draft, Jameis Winston, the
No. 2 overall pick in the NFL Draft and Alex Bregman to go along with
Baseball Prospectus' No. 1 midseason prospect, Corey Seager, and you
have a pretty special class.
“Yeah
that was awesome,” Williams recalled on Sunday about the level of
talent he played with in 2011. “It actually feels like the same.
Same environment, it was cool, (the) locker room was packed. We were
around all of the best players. Now we're all so close to the big
leagues, it's like an actual dream now. But that was awesome, it
feels the same.”
Williams,
like Crawford, also seemed to have little problems making the
necessary adjustments to pro ball after being drafted by the Rangers
in the second round of the 2012 draft. He gave a good idea of his
overall talents offensively during his first full professional season
in 2013 when he hit .293 with 19 doubles, 12 triples and 17 home
runs. However, he also walked only 15 times that year as compared to
110 strikeouts.
The
ratio is starting to draw closer, and while he still has work to do
with his approach at the plate, he has already drawn more walk this
year (27) than he did all of last season (22).
“With
Nick Williams it's the tools you can't teach; the elite bat speed
(and) the feel for the barrel,” Moore added of Williams' talents.
“The only thing that has held him back so far is the
ultra-aggressive approach. But he's made really, really impressive
improvements this year, and he's already at Double-A. You don't see
that a lot, and they were necessary improvements for him to allow the
pure talent to play against better competition. And to his credit
he's made them, and now it's just a matter of finishing the
refinement, put it all together and let the raw hitting ability
play.”
And
also similar to Crawford, Williams also had an RBI single with a run
scored in Sunday's game.
Moving
forward, Crawford is quick to recognize that his own consistency in
all facets of the game are ultimately what will carry him to the big
leagues.
“Staying
consistent on offense and defense,” Crawford said. “Trying to
stay consistent on the field, stop making careless errors and on
offense just doing what I do. Stay within myself and have fun."
Not
surprisingly, Williams' primary focus was no far off from his Futures
Game teammate.
“My
whole mindset going to the field everyday is just to learn something
and to stay consistent, as consistent as I can. I think that will get
me there (to the big leagues). Being the same player, being the same
good teammate, pulling for my team and helping them win any way that
I can.”