EL1 Reading Fightin Phils

Five for Fightins: Crawford Highlights Group Heading to All-Star Classic

Published on July 1, 2015 under Eastern League (EL1)
Reading Fightin Phils News Release


The Reading Fightin Phils will be represented well in Portland, Maine on July 15th when shortstop J.P. Crawford, outfielder Roman Quinn, outfielder Cam Perkins, infielder Brock Stassi, and starting pitcher Zach Eflin head to the 2015 Eastern League All-Star Classic at Hadlock Field. The five Fightins are tied with Portland, Trenton, Akron, and Altoona for most All-Star representation in the annual mid-summer classic.

As the top prospect in the Phillies system, Crawford came to Baseballtown on May 29th after hitting .392 in 20 games with the Clearwater Threshers (A+) this season. Since making his Double-A debut, he's hitting .268 with eight doubles, two triples, two home runs, and 12 RBIs in 51 games. At just 20-years old, Crawford is the youngest player in the Eastern League.

Last season, Crawford received the Paul Owens Award as the best position player in the Phillies minor league system after hitting .285 with 11 homers and 48 RBIs in 123 combined games between Lakewood (A) and Clearwater. Following the season, Crawford was named the top prospect in the organization by both Baseball America and MLB.com. During the 2015 season, ESPN baseball insider Keith Law listed Crawford as the no. 4 overall prospect in the minors.

Crawford was selected by the Phillies out of Lakewood (CA) High School with the 16th overall pick in the 2013 draft.

A speedster on the base paths, Quinn was hitting .306 with four homers and 15 RBIs over 58 games with the Fightins before landing on the disabled list with a left quad strain on June 13. His 29 stolen bases are tops in the Eastern League and his six triples are tied for first while his batting average ranks as seventh-best among league leaders.

Selected by the Phillies in the second round of the 2011 draft, Quinn ranks as the no. 3 prospect in the Phillies system according to MLB.com.

Eflin has started his first Double-A season by going 5-4 with a 2.88 ERA in 14 starts with the Fightins. The 21-year old has struck out 42 batters to just 16 walks over 84.1 innings pitched and has given up three earned runs or less in all but three of his 14 starts. Over his standout month of June, Eflin went 1-1 with a 1.80 ERA in five starts for Reading. Earlier this season, he was named Eastern League Pitcher of the Week (4/9 to 4/19) after starting the season by going 2-0 with a 0.00 ERA.

Rated by MLB.com as the fifth-best prospect in the Phillies organization, Eflin was acquired by the Phillies from Dodgers this past winter as part of the Jimmy Rollins deal. The right-handed pitcher was originally acquired by the San Diego Padres with the 33rd overall pick of the 2012 draft.

Stassi returned to the Fightins roster for the second straight year and has delivered in a big way so far. The Sacramento native is hitting .313 with 16 doubles, seven home runs, and an Eastern League-leading 51 RBIs. His batting average is also the fifth-highest mark in the league. The 25-year old's 2015 season has seen the infielder set career highs in RBIs and doubles.

In his second season with the Fightins, Perkins has discovered his power stroke, hitting eight home runs and driving in 33 runs over 61 games. The outfielder is also hitting .252 with 17 doubles. Selected by the Phillies in the 6th round of the 2012 draft out of Purdue University, Perkins was hitting .286/.325/.494 in 17 June games before being placed on the disabled list with back tightness.

Tickets for the 2015 season at FirstEnergy Stadium are available by visiting Fightins.com, calling the Fightin Phils Ticket Office at 610-370-BALL, or by visiting the Fightin Phils Ticket Office in person at FirstEnergy Stadium. Follow the Fightin Phils on Twitter at @ReadingFightins and like them on Facebook via Facebook.com/Fightins.

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Eastern League Stories from July 1, 2015


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

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