by Igor Mello | CBSSports.com (5/17/2013) Giants shortstop Brandon Crawford enjoyed a solid night at the plate as he drove in three runs during Thursday's contest against the Rockies.
Crawford lined a bases-clearing double that sparked a five-run sixth inning for the Giants. He finished 2 for 4 with two runs scored and three RBI in an 8-6 victory. It was his fifth multi-hit game in his last nine games.
Crawford is hitting .277 with five homers and 20 RBI in his last 141 at-bats.
Brandon Crawford starting to come around
by Adam Moore | CBSSports.com (5/12/2013) Giants shortstop Brandon Crawford had his third-straight, mulit-hit game Sunday against the Braves. Crawford had two singles in the 5-1 win, including one in the fourth inning that drove in Brandon Belt. He finished 2 for 3 with an RBI and walk.
After going through a rough stretch in late April and early May, Crawford appears to be heating up. He has hit safely in six-straight games and is batting .455 (10 for 22) with three doubles and two RBI over that stretch.
Brandon Crawford's gone ice cold
by Chris Towers | CBSSports.com (5/9/2013) We have not checked in with Giants shortstop Brandon Crawford in a while, so let's see how he is doing since his hot start.
On April 24, the date of our last update on Crawford, he was batting .320 with four home runs and 10 RBI in 22 games. In 11 games since, Crawford is batting just .125, with 11 strikeouts in 40 at-bats. Yikes.
Crawford was clearly playing over his head through the first four weeks of the season, and he is clearly mired in a deep slump right now. Given his career .632 on-base plus slugging percentage entering the year, it is no surprise that he has proven incapable of keeping up his hot start. The question now is: How low will he go?
Fantasy owners entered the season with low expectations for Crawford, so a few weeks of solid production was a pleasant surprise. But it obviously did not establish a new baseline for the previously punchless shortstop. Now that it's over, I would not hang on to him outside of deeper Fantasy formats.
Brandon Crawford stays hot at plate
by Ed Gauna | CBSSports.com (4/24/2013) Giants shortstop Brandon Crawford continued his recent hot hitting ways in Wednesday's series finale against the Diamondbacks. He went 3 for 4 with a home run and two RBI in a 3-2 loss.
The 26-year-old singled to lead off the fifth inning before driving in Gregor Blanco with a double in the seventh. Then in the bottom of the ninth with his team trailing by one, Crawford launched a game-tying, solo shot off David Hernandez. It was his fourth long ball.
Crawford is batting .320 (24 for 75) with 10 RBI.
Brandon Crawford an everyday option for Giants
by Ed Gauna | CBSSports.com (4/24/2013) Giants shortstop Brandon Crawford made his 22nd consecutive start on Wednesday against the Diamondbacks as he and Hunter Pence have been the only two players to start every game for San Francisco.
He entered the contest batting .296 with eight homers and eight RBI through 71 at-bats.
"A couple of years ago I was in and out of the lineup," Crawford told MLB.com. "Last year I was in there a lot of the time then kind of toward the end I started getting platooned. Being in there every day, it's good for the confidence, it's good for getting into a little rhythm."
Manager Bruce Bochy added that he hopes the 26-year-old sees more than 150 starts this season.
"He's our shortstop. He's a very gifted shortstop," Bochy said. "He's young. He can handle it, going out there every day. This is part of being an everyday regular player, especially when you're the shortstop. Those guys usually run out there more than anybody."
Don't buy the hype on Brandon Crawford
by Chris Towers | CBSSports.com (4/20/2013) Scott White posted Friday that he is not a believer in Brandon Crawford's apparent breakout so far this season for the Giants.
Crawford has been one of the five best shortstops in all of Fantasy through the first three weeks of the season, thanks to a .328 batting average, three home runs and 12 runs scored.
Are there any signs that point to him sustaining this success?
Crawford has shown an improved eye at the plate, walking in 9.1 percent of his plate appearances and striking out in 16.7 percent. Both of which are better than his career norms and have helped him to a .328 batting average and .409 on-base percentage.
Unfortunately, he is also fueled by a .364 batting average on balls in play that he almost certainly will not be able to sustain. However, he does have a solid 21.3 percent line drive rate that indicates he is making good contact.
If Crawford can sustain his refined approach at the plate, he may be able to keep a solid batting average, but the biggest place he is likely to fall off is in the power department.
After entering the season with just seven home runs in 631 at bats at the major-league level, he already has three in 58 at bats. Usually, an increase in home runs can be explained by a batter making a more concerted effort to put the ball in the air, but that has not been the case thus far for Crawford. He has hit a career-low 27.7 percent of his batted balls in the air, a sure sign that this power spike is not sustainable.
White's skepticism regarding Crawford seems justified, so Fantasy owners who are rushing out to grab him (added in 42 percent of leagues over the last week) should know that this is likely as good as it gets for the 26-year-old.
Not believing in Brandon Crawford
by Scott White | Senior Fantasy Writer (4/19/2013)Brandon Crawford's third home run Thursday put him one off his career high and made him the No. 3 shortstop in standard Head-to-Head leagues so far this season, behind only Jed Lowrie and Troy Tulowitzki. Yet as much as I'd like to believe it's at least halfway legitimate, I don't see any evidence of it.
I've scoured the Internet looking for explanations but can't find anything concrete. Some sources point to his improvement in the second half last year, but he still produced only a .697 OPS then, which would relegate him to the bench for just about any other team. Apart from the heavy-hitting California League, where his numbers were as silly as everyone else's, his OPS was right around .700 throughout his minor-league career as well. I'm thinking that's who he is.
For now, I'm dismissing his early-season production as an aberration, but I'd love to hear any theories suggesting otherwise.
Brandon Crawford responds well to lineup change
by Michael Hurcomb | CBSSports.com (4/18/2013) Giants shortstop Brandon Crawford responded positively to being moved up to fifth in the batting order Thursday against the Brewers. Crawford led the offensive charge in a 7-2 loss, going 3 for 4 with a solo home run, a double and two runs.
Crawford is batting .354 (11 for 31) with three home runs and seven RBI in nine career games at Miller Park. Crawford extended his hitting streak to 11 games Thursday. He's batting .432 (16 for 37) with three doubles, three home runs and seven RBI during the streak.
Brandon Crawford gets bumped up lineup
by Michael Hurcomb | CBSSports.com (4/18/2013) With catcher Buster Posey out of the lineup Thursday at Milwaukee, Giants manager Bruce Bochy moved shortstop Brandon Crawford from eighth to fifth in the batting order. Crawford carried a 10-game hitting streak into Thursday.
He's batting .394 (13 for 33) with two doubles, two home runs, five walks, six RBI and nine runs during his hitting streak. Bochy hinted Thursday he might continue to hit Crawford higher in the lineup.
"He shortens up really well now," Bochy said, per CSN Bay Area. "He’s shorter to the ball, his swing is more compact and he’s using the whole field."
Brandon Crawford's hit streak reaches 10
by Ed Gauna | CBSSports.com (4/17/2013) Giants shortstop Brandon Crawford extended his hitting streak to 10 games on Wednesday against the Brewers. He went 2 for 4 with a run scored in a 4-3 loss.
Crawford is batting .394 (13 for 33) during his streak with two homers and six RBI.
Jury still out on Brandon Crawford
by Michael Hurcomb | CBSSports.com (4/14/2013) I'm not sure if I'm ready to buy into the Brandon Crawford hype just yet. Though, his start to the season is certainly intriguing.
Crawford has been on a nice run since spring training. He hit .375 with a .609 slugging percentage in 23 spring games. He's carried that over into the start of the regular season, batting .282 with a .378 on-base percentage and .814 OPS in 12 games. I've read many times where the Giants feel Crawford is just beginning to scratch the surface offensively, but I just can't find any empirical evidence to support those claims.
His slash line in the minors (.266/.331/.403/.734) was hardly impressive and Crawford had a pretty stellar spring in 2012 to only have a poor offensive season in the majors.
With all that said, however, I don't want to completely write off Crawford because he's just entering the prime of his career and he might finally be hitting his stride in the majors. While I don't think he has a high ceiling, I do feel Crawford can be useful in larger Fantasy formats.
Brandon Crawford bats second in Giants win
by R.J. White | CBSSports.com (4/11/2013) Giants shortstop Brandon Crawford hit second Thursday and reached base three times in four plate appearances in the win. Crawford had hit eighth in each of the team's first nine games.
Crawford, who is hitting .273/.368/.455 in 38 plate appearances, has reached base safely in each of the last eight games.
Brandon Crawford slugs three-run homer
by Jack Moore | CBSSports.com (4/10/2013)Brandon Crawford slugged a crucial three-run homer in the Giants' 9-6 victory Tuesday over Colorado.
Crawford went the other way off Rockies pitcher Adam Ottavino to knock the home run over the left-field fence. It was Crawford's first home run of the year but already his third extra-base hit in eight games. He's hitting .231/.286/.423.
Brandon Crawford bringing up batting average
by Michael Hurcomb | CBSSports.com (4/9/2013) After going hitless in his first two games, Giants shortstop Brandon Crawford has hit safely in four of his last five games. Crawford is 5 for 16 (.313) with two doubles in that five-game span.
Crawford is batting .217 (5 for 23) through seven games, but he has no home runs or RBI. He's also struck out six times and walked once.
Brandon Crawford begins season in 0-for-7 slump
by Michael Hurcomb | CBSSports.com (4/3/2013) Giants shortstop Brandon Crawford endured another hitless game Tuesday against the Dodgers. Crawford has started the season mired in a 0-for-7 slump.
Crawford is coming off a productive spring. He hit .375 (24 for 64) with one homer, three triples, six doubles and nine RBI in 23 spring games.
Brandon Crawford, Marco Scutaro build bond
by Michael Hurcomb | CBSSports.com (3/25/2013) Giants veteran infielder Marco Scutaro has developed into a mentor for shortstop Brandon Crawford, according to The Oakland Tribune.
"We've gotten to know each pretty well, and I really like him," Crawford said. "He's just a consummate professional player. He's quiet and just goes about his job. He puts in a lot of work, and he's seen pretty much everything. He's played in both leagues and he's played both second and short. So there's a lot I can learn from him. I already have."
Scutaro said he's glad to mentor Crawford and feels one day Crawford's offensive skills might match his defensive prowess.
"I've talked to him about trying to be a little more consistent with his swing," Scutaro said. "At the end of the season, he was swinging the bat really well, so I think it's just a matter of time for him to start being more productive at the plate. When he starts doing that, he's going to be an All-Star player, there's no doubt."
Brandon Crawford seeing improvement
by Ed Gauna | CBSSports.com (3/20/2013) Giants shortstop Brandon Crawford went 3 for 5 with an RBI and a run scored in Wednesday's Cactus League game against the Padres. He is batting .316 (12 for 38) with a homer and five RBI through 15 spring games.
Crawford hopes to improve over last year, his first full season, when he hit .248 with .304 on-base percentage. Crawford is batting .273 this spring, and he's hitting .321 with a .403 OBP in March. He thinks the improvement is a sign of good things to come.
"I'd like to think it is," said Crawford. "I've hit wherever I've gone in the minors, and I had a good second half last year I'd like to build on. I've really been feeling good, and I've been gaining confidence this spring. I've been in the league a little while, and I think I'm ready to take that next step as a hitter."
Crawford ready to break out?
by Michael Hurcomb | CBSSports.com (2/17/2013) The San Francisco Chronicle reports Giants shortstop Brandon Crawford is often lauded for his defense and even from unlikely sources. "I'm prepared to say with confidence that Brandon Crawford is the best defensive shortstop in baseball. His combination of instincts, hands and arm strength separates him from the rest," Dodgers catcher A.J. Ellis wrote in the Los Angeles Times during the World Series last year. One area Crawford doesn't receive a lot of praise is for his offense, but teammate Marco Scutaro feels that could change in 2013. "He's a guy who can be really good," Scutaro said. "Defensively he's unbelievable. At the end of the season last year he did some adjustments with his hitting. He was a little more consistent. When he starts getting consistent with his bat, he's going to be something special."
