J.P. Crawford Endured the Rebuild. Now It’s His Turn to Be Rewarded.
(Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images)
On December 3rd, 2018, the Mariners traded Jean Segura, Juan Niasco, and James Pazos for Carlos Santana and J.P. Crawford. At the time, most fans saw the move as a harbinger of the losing seasons to come—the Mariners were entering a rebuild, and this was one of the first steps taken as the front office tore down their 89-win roster after yet another failure to make the postseason. Everyone seemed to focus on Jean Segura and Carlos Santana more than Crawford, treating him as more of a long-shot “change of scenery” candidate than a big trade headliner. After spending years as one of the top prospects in Baseball, Crawford was coming off a very disappointing season, looking like a potential bust as he struggled with injuries and pressure to perform. There were plenty of doubts, especially amongst his former team’s front office, as to whether he would be able to bounce back in the future. And for a while those doubts seemed justified, as Crawford’s first two seasons in Seattle were a mixed bag of gold-glove defense and lackluster offense.
But that didn’t last long. From 2021 onwards, J.P. Crawford has been the most valuable Mariners Shortstop since A-Rod left for Texas, solidifying a position that had been a weakness for most of the previous two decades. From 2001-2018, Mariners starting shortstops were worth a total of 21.9 fWAR, an average of 1.21 fWAR per season. Since J.P. Crawford took over in 2019, he has accumulated 17.1 fWAR for an average of 2.13 fWAR per season. He hasn’t been a superstar level player—in fact, he hasn’t made an all-star team yet despite having a couple very good seasons—but after years and years of searching for a long-term answer at SS, Crawford has been a foundational piece of the M’s roster. In fact, Crawford’s breakout coincided perfectly with the M’s recent string of winning seasons. 2021 was the M’s first 90-win season since 2003, and it was also Crawford’s first season above 2.0 fWAR.
But J.P. brings more value than just his stats. Coming in at the beginning of the rebuild, Crawford has been there for all the struggles along the way. Mitch Haniger, Kyle Seager, and J.P. Crawford were the only constant guys in the lineup during those bleak seasons, as the roster turned over every year. They were all leaders of sorts—but Seager was the vet and undisputed main leader during his tenure. When Seager retired after that crazy 2021 season, it appeared as though Mitch Haniger filled the void left behind. But it wasn’t just Mitch that filled that void. In his famous letter to Mariners fans in October 2021, Haniger named J.P. Crawford as one of the tone-setters on the team; one of the guys holding others responsible. And that group, along with Paul Seawald, Marco Gonzales, and others, laid the foundation this 2025 team stands on. They believed that the 2021 season was just the beginning.
That made 2022 even sweeter, as Crawford’s leadership role grew significantly, they broke the drought, and ushered in a new crop of talent that included Cal and Julio. Haniger’s departure that offseason made J.P. the undisputed #1 leader of the locker room, and by all accounts, he has done a fantastic job in carrying on the torch. Now the longest-tenured player on the team, he has contributed well to their playoff push and remains a respected leader of the club.
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Crawford has had a bounce-back season this year, putting up 2.8 fWAR despite his defense declining with age. His 113 wRC+ is the second-highest of his career, and is the main driver of his WAR value. His leadership certainly brings an enormous amount of value to the team, but perhaps his most important skill is his “clutch” ability. The ability to thrive in big moments when the lights are brightest. When most players are in high leverage situations, they statistically perform about the same as usual. For some, as we see in every postseason, the weight of the moment is too much, and they crumble under the pressure. But for John Paul Crawford, pressure creates diamonds.
According to Fangraphs, in low leverage situations, J.P Crawford has a wRC+ of just 94 in his career. But with RISP, J.P has a wRC+ of 123. And in high leverage situations, He has a wRC+ of 146, which ranks 11th as far back as fangraphs data goes (min. 300 PA). Just look at who is on this list!
This season he has been particularly great, with a wRC+ of 210 in high leverage situations, which ranks second in MLB (min. 50 PA):
And the advanced stats are backed up by plenty of anecdotal evidence, too:
Playoffs 2022:
-October 8, 2022, Wild card series game 2 Vs. Blue Jays, 8th inning. Crawford hits the bases-clearing double that ties the game and completes the comeback.
-October 11, 2022, ALDS game 1. Crawford hits a home run off Justin Verlander to give the M’s a 5-2 lead (God how did we lose that game).
Playoff race 2023:
-September 3, 2023. Tied 7-7 Vs. Mets, Crawford hits a solo home run to take the lead in the 9th inning.
-September 28, 2023. Down 2-1 in the bottom of the 9th, Crawford hits a bases-loaded double to walk off the Rangers.
-September 29, 2023. Crawford hits a grand slam to put the game out of reach and win the series against the Rangers.
This season:
-May 13, 2025. Crawford hits a walk-off single in the 11th against the Yankees.
-May 31, 2025. Crawford breaks the scoreboard with a go-ahead home run against the Twins in the 7th inning.
-August 1, 2025. Crawford walks off the Rangers with a two-run homer in the 9th.
-October 7, 2025. ALDS game 3 Vs. Tigers. Crawford leads the offence, going 2-2 with a home run, a single, a walk, and a sac fly.
-October 10, 2025. ALDS game 5 Vs. Tigers, winner-take all. Crawford leads off the 15th inning with a single and ends up scoring the walk-off run on Polanco’s single—sending Seattle to the ALCS for the first time since 2001.
To say Crawford has been anything less than vital to this epic playoff run would be critically undervaluing his contributions. As a veteran leader, a clutch hitter, and torch-bearer of the fire that was lit in 2021—he brings focus amid the distractions, passion in the dull, and stability in the storm. When Jorge Poloanco got the walkoff hit to send the Mariners to the ALCS on Friday, Cal Raleigh and Josh Naylor ran out onto the field and made a beeline—not to Polanco, but to J.P. Crawford. That is how much he means to this team. But that wasn’t the only reason they celebrated with Crawford first. The real reason was that they knew how much this win meant to him personally.
JP was ranked 6th in MLB and 2nd in AL for OAA during his 2020 gold glove campaign. This season he was ranked 2nd to last ahead of only Bo Bichette.
These playoffs are incredibly important to the Mariners, but none more so than J.P. Crawford. He is 30 years old, and 2026 is the last year on his contract. His defense has been steadily declining the last couple years, and he may not get many more chances to play in the post-season—especially with so many young, talented infield prospects right on his heels. He has suffered through an entire rebuild, been there for every playoff push, and tasted the bitterness of playoff defeat in 2022. He helped build the foundation for this ballclub, with his own blood, sweat, and tears. The torch has been passed down to him, and he carries it on. The hope of that 2021 fun differential team. The unwavering determination of that 2022 team that fell just short. A determination to right the wrongs of the past. A determination to not just make the playoffs, but to make something special happen. He knows more than anyone how much it took to get to this moment. And now he has a prime opportunity to finish what he started—an opportunity to carry that torch all the way to the finish line: the first World Series in franchise history.
-Issac Harai
