SEATTLE — Shortly after the end of last season, Mariners shortstop JP Crawford went to dinner with his agent Nick Chanock and the team’s top baseball executives, Jerry Dipoto and Justin Hollander.
During dessert, Dipoto and Hollander brought up the idea of Crawford joining Driveline Baseball in the offseason. Crawford took a bite of his candy and didn’t hesitate in his answer.
“I’m in, I’m doing it,” he said.
Crawford always thought Driveline, a data-driven performance training center, was just for pitchers. This is not the case. Batters are also welcome, and Driveline’s coaches have helped him learn to use his legs better and put his body in a better position to hit the ball.
That brings us to Thursday night at T-Mobile Park, where Crawford is batting with two outs, the bases are loaded in the ninth inning and the Mariners trail the Rangers 2-1. One more out and the Mariners’ 2023 season would be as good as over.
The 28-year-old Crawford didn’t make an out. Instead, he capped his season of offensive transformation with the Mariners’ biggest hit of the year, an opposite-field shot that flew over the head of Rangers left fielder Evan Carter for a two-run walk-off double achieved.
“I think it goes back to JP’s offseason program getting a little stronger,” Mariners manager Scott Servais said after his team’s 3-2 win. “He probably wouldn’t have been able to do that a year ago.”
Crawford’s hit gave him an astonishing 10-for-15 mark with bases loaded this season. More importantly, it served as a lifeline for the Mariners in the American League wild card race, preventing them from falling two games behind with three games remaining.
The Mariners remain in a disadvantageous position, trailing the Astros by one game and the Blue Jays by two. But if they win on Friday night, no easy feat as rookie Bryan Woo faces Rangers veteran Nathan Eovaldi, the pitching duels will turn in their favor. Luis Castillo vs. Jon Gray on Saturday. George Kirby versus a Rangers starter will be announced on Sunday.
The Astros can stay ahead of the Mariners simply by beating the Diamondbacks in Arizona. The Blue Jays can do the same by winning two of three games against the Rays. But the Mariners have the tiebreaker over the Astros and probably the Jays (based on intra-division record). And the Astros face Diamondbacks star Zac Gallen on Friday, who will try to get his team to the postseason for the first time since 2017.
The Diamondbacks’ magic number is one. With a win on Friday, they will likely oust No. 2 starter Merrill Kelly on Saturday, making the path easier for the Astros. Meanwhile, the Blue Jays host the Rays, who, now that they can no longer win the AL East, are just in cleanup mode and are considered the AL’s top wild card.
Any combination of two Jays wins and Mariners losses and Toronto will qualify. But at least Seattle still has a chance, a 33 percent chance according to the latest playoff odds from Fangraphs. Without Crawford’s goal the score would have been much more impressive.
American League Standings
| team | W | L | PCT | WCGB |
|---|---|---|---|---|
100 | 59 | 0.629 | ||
89 | 70 | 0.560 | ||
85 | 74 | 0.535 | ||
97 | 62 | 0.610 | +10.0 | |
88 | 71 | 0.553 | +1.0 | |
87 | 72 | 0.547 | – | |
86 | 73 | 0.541 | 1.0 |
Julio Rodríguez’s solo shot off Rangers left-hander Jordan Montgomery in the fourth inning was the first step for the Mariners to recover from a 2-0 deficit. But afterward, Servais said something about Crawford that might surprise most fans: “For us, he may be our most valuable player day in and day out.”
While Servais acknowledges that Rodríguez is the team’s superstar, the Mariners marvel at the growth of Crawford, whom they acquired along with Carlos Santana from the Phillies in December 2018 in exchange for Jean Segura, Juan Nicasio and James Pazos. Crawford won a Gold Glove in 2020. His work ethic is impeccable. He has developed into a leader. And this season, he seemingly emerged from nowhere into an offensive force.
Crawford spent most of April batting in the ninth spot, a logical position for a player who previously had a career .691 OPS. However, on May 10, he moved up to the top group and has remained there ever since. Not to mention his modest .265 batting average. He leads the AL with 93 walks, giving him a .380 on-base percentage. His 18 home runs are twice his previous career high. His OPS of .815 is 140 points higher than a year ago.
When he came to the plate in the ninth inning, the Mariners were 8-0 with runners in scoring position. They struggled with such situations throughout September, batting .217 and losing 16 of 25. Even after loading the bases with no outs against Aroldis Chapman, victory was hardly assured. In fact, Jonathan Hernández replaced Chapman and retired pinch hitters Mike Ford and Jose Rojas.
The game and the season were due to Crawford.
“Every time he’s up there,” Rodríguez said. “I know he’ll do something.”
The attack didn’t start well. Hernández’s first pitch was a strike on a slider that barely hit the inside of the plate. Crawford didn’t protest against plate umpire Ryan Blakney, but remained undaunted. In such cases, he said, “I just try to take a few breaths and relax in the moment, as hard as that may sound.”
Hernández’s second throw was also a slider, but it fell too far outside. Then he threw a plumb bob, which stayed up, over the center of the plate. Crawford drove it into left field, unsure whether Carter, the Rangers’ rookie quarterback, would pass it. He ran up the first base line and thought, “Sit down, sit down.”
Sitting did. The Mariners rushed onto the field, happy with their sudden good fortune. The 43,817 spectators erupted in joy and chanted Crawford’s initials, just as they did when he hit. Crawford ended his on-field interview with Root Sports’ Jen Mueller, shouting, “Let’s go!” before leaving the field.
Whatever happens Friday night, this weekend and the rest of his career, he said he will remember the crowd that greeted him, the shouts of “JP! JP! JP!”
“There’s no better feeling,” Crawford said. “Some of these moments you will never forget. It will be a living memory in my heart and mind. Just hearing that, there’s no better feeling in the world.”
His one shot changed everything, kept the Mariners alive and made everything possible. Who knows? Before this season ends, JP Crawford could experience that feeling again.
(Top photo by JP Crawford: Steph Chambers / Getty Images)