After career year, Crawford has even higher goals in 2024

PEORIA, Ariz. -- Cactus League play is two weeks underway, and the Mariners’ most consistent hitter last season only just recorded his first knock on Saturday. But for J.P. Crawford, is that really a cause for concern?

“J.P., he's always putting the time and the effort and the work in, trying to make adjustments,” Mariners manager Scott Servais said. “Trust me, J.P. is going to get a few hits for us. I feel very confident saying that.”

Indeed, this has been typical production at this time for Crawford, who accumulated just five hits in Spring Training in each of the past three years. He went 2-for-3 in Saturday’s 7-5 win over the Brewers at American Family Fields in Phoenix, including a sky-high double that the left fielder lost in the sun; that preceded his first stolen base, when he slid around a tag at third.

He also ripped a single up the middle that second baseman Christian Arroyo stopped when diving but to no play.

It brought Crawford’s spring line to 2-for-13, but a closer look reveals that Crawford is grinding through at-bats, making pitchers work and finding other forms of production to get his work in. Just as telling to his limited slash line is that he has three walks and only struck out for the first time on Saturday.

“That's three years in a row,” Servais said. “Last year, his spring was not great at all. He started to get going a little bit towards the end of spring, but at the start of the season, it wasn't great. And then all of a sudden, it clicks, and off he goes and has the best year he's ever had in his career. As long as guys are putting the work in and they're grinding away -- and J.P. is definitely doing that -- I have no worries.”

Crawford is in this camp with as much clarity to his career as ever.

He’s learned how to handle the rigors of a six-month season, having played in 450 games since 2021. He’s installed significant swing changes through outside counsel at Driveline, which led to a career year in 2023. He also now shoulders the most leadership among position players, which he channels more through example rather than his words.

But those carry weight, too.

“The road to the World Series starts right now,” said Crawford, who is now the Mariners’ longest-tenured player, after they traded Marco Gonzales this offseason.

“I'm the same level of pissed [as last spring], probably even a little more since we didn't even get in last year. To me, it pisses me off every day. Every day in the offseason, you just think about it and back your head and just like always think, 'What could I have done or what could have been different to help my team get into the playoffs?' And you take that into consideration every day.”

Did he tune into the postseason, when Texas won the title, after battling Houston in a seven-game American League Championship Series?

“I watched every game,” Crawford said. “Just using that as fuel to the fire, man. It just pisses you off, but I use that [stuff] as motivation.”

The eight-year veteran speaks with more urgency than ever, particularly after candid conversations with Servais, president of baseball operations Jerry Dipoto and more -- specifically as the Mariners were subtracting prior to making additions.

Asked to recount those moments, Crawford said, “Our window is now. Why are we waiting? We should be putting together the best team that we could assemble, money-wise or not. This is our window. I think we should be all in right now.”

Does he feel they did so?

“I think everyone that they brought in has that edge to them about wanting to win,” Crawford said. “They're going to work their [butts] off to get to that point, to be better and help the team win. And so, yeah, I think they did a great job.”

Coming off a year in which he ranked fourth among shortstops with 4.9 wins above replacement, per FanGraphs, Crawford believes there could be more in the tank. He slashed .266/.380/.438 (.818 OPS) with 19 homers, 10 more than his previous career high. Yet even if it’ll be challenging to replicate that production, everything takes a back seat to the ultimate goal.

“With J.P., it's about one thing -- how do we win a few more games?” Servais said. “I said it from very early on in his time here that he was the most competitive guy we had in our clubhouse, and that has not changed.”