The San Francisco Giants’ first-round choice in the 2022 MLB draft quickly rose to the top of the team’s most intriguing prospects. They took the 22-year-old at No. 30. This two-way brilliance, which is synonymous with sensational Shohei Ohtani, on the pitching and on the plate, ignites a unique excitement.
Some Giants supporters are casting their offseason hopes toward soon-to-be free agent Ohtani because they desperately need a star. Having dual prowess, this two-way prospect definitely wants to get in touch with the two-way phenom to gather insights. With that, will San Francisco’s farm system include MLB’s next two-way star? “I guess time will tell, you know?”.
Leaving No Stone Unturned To Talk To Shohei Ohtani
In a recent YouTube video by Foul Territory, Reggie Crawford shares how he plans going ahead with approaching Ohtani himself. Since proving himself in Single-A, he has gotten to know some big-league players. With that, he has been leaving no stone unturned to have a word with the Los Angeles Angels’ star before entering the world of MLB. He said, in the video, “I’ve been working on that uh so hopefully sometime in the near future, kind of you know, pick his brain a little bit because obviously that’d be very helpful”.
Apart from the fact that both the prodigies share a similar s𝓀𝒾𝓁𝓁 set, the Pennsylvania-𝐛𝐨𝐫𝐧 could use some of Ohtani’s MLB flavor. Having the hitter and pitcher status is not easy, but Shohei Ohtani has adorned both the feathers in his hat. That is exactly Crawford’s inspiration. It is also noteworthy that he and Ohtani have been in similar situations.
The 22-year-old had Tommy John surgery on his left elbow in October 2021. Almost 2 years later, he made his Single-A debut with Low-A San Jose. While he has completely recovered, he is passionate about maintaining his dual status.
So much so that, in June this year, he said, “Doing both is the baseball that I’ve known for my whole life. I know there’s still a way to go. That’s the most exciting part because it’s a learning process, whether it’s on the mound or it’s at the plate”. With that, he answered a follow-up question about this stance.
When Will Reggie Crawford Make It To MLB?
Crawford’s belief in himself as a two-way player is so strong that he made sure that his draft gets it right. He elaborated that he would like to be a part of only the teams that would allow him to do both. That being said, when can one expect to see him in MLB?
Well, Crawford said that he has not been given a drop-dead date yet. However, at the moment, the Giants and him are “pretty much riding it” with the priority of getting healthy, staying healthy, and dropping by for check-ins every once in a while.
