Arizona landed a commitment from 2022 outfielder Justin Crawford back in March but it flew under the radar until today when an account on social media that highlights high school baseball prospects tweeted about it. Crawford is a native of California but moved to Las Vegas to play at Bishop Gorman High School.
The 6-foot-2 prospect, who also pitches, is the son of longtime MLB outfielder Carl Crawford so he has strong bloodlines in the sport. Head coach Jay Johnson and Arizona have had plenty of recruiting success in Las Vegas with some of the team's most prominent players coming from the city including current catcher Austin Wells and center fielder Donta Williams. Wells played at Bishop Gorman as a high school player so that is another connection for the Wildcats.
As is typically the case for baseball prospects, it will be a long time before Crawford arrives to Arizona and that is assuming he does arrive. There have been some reports that he could eventually be a better player than his dad, so there is always the chance that he ultimately decides to bypass college altogether.
For now it is a significant pickup for Johnson and the Wildcats as he will add a left-handed bat to the lineup down the line.
"He used to take me to the clubhouse with all the players, so my dad mostly, but even all the players would show me the ropes," Crawford previously told MLB.com about how much having an MLB player for a father helped him developed his game. "My dad obviously is a big part of my life with baseball and got me to where I am today.
"I would say it helps me out a little bit. He would take me out to the field during batting practice, and those balls are obviously hit a lot harder, so I guess it made it a little easier for me. Just help me maybe adjust to the game a lot easier and just knowing what those balls are like off the bat."
