ALLENTOWN - J.P. Crawford can't sugarcoat things. This has been a terribly difficult season for the Phillies' top minor-league prospect. Yet the 22-year-old shortstop for the triple-A Lehigh Valley IronPigs, who was the Phillies first-round pick in 2013, said that he is coming out of a season-long hitting slump.
On Wednesday, Crawford had a four-game multi-hit streak snapped, but he still reached base twice with two walks in a 6-0 win at Indianapolis.
His average is up past the Mendoza line, at .205 entering Thursday. Considering that he was batting .089 after going 0 for 4 on April, 25, that is progress.