Justin Crawford gets 2 hits in anticipated debut for Phillies. His All-Star father hopes for 3,000
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Justin Crawford bounced the first pitch he ever saw in the major leagues straight up the middle to get his first career hit out of the way in a matter of seconds. First hit of how many? “Just 2999 more to go," his father, four-time All-Star outfielder Carl Crawford wrote on Instagram under video of the single.
Hey, no pressure there, especially in Philadelphia . Making one of the more anticipated debuts for a Phillies rookie in years, Crawford was an instant hit — truly — in his big league debut. The 22-year-old center fielder batted ninth and went 2 for 4 with a run scored for the Phillies in their 5-3 opening day win over the Texas Rangers on Thursday.
“I'll be lying if I said I didn't have no butterflies,” Crawford said. “But by the time I got on the field, it was another game. Go play.
” Crawford paced the outfield hours ahead of first pitch, headphones on and walking barefoot just as he did as one of the top prospects in baseball during his sensational rise — he set a Triple-A Lehigh Valley record season with a . 334 average — through the minors. “I wanted to get a feel for the stadium, just feel the heartbeat of the stadium," Crawford said.
"Something I like to do when I get somewhere for the first time. ” He should expect to stay in Philadelphia for a long time. The 17th overall pick in the 2022 draft, Crawford wowed the Phillies in a spring training where the position was his to lose after hitting .