Mariners being rewarded for putting their faith in J.P. Crawford

It’s a small sample size, but there’s no denying the positive impact since putting J.P. Crawford at the top of the Mariners batting order.

Entering the Astros series there was plenty of concern about J.P. Crawford, with him seemingly still feeling lingering effects from the right shoulder issue which saw him begin the season on the Injured List. Already dealing with declining arm strength, last year’s 79.6 mph average almost looked good compared to a 77.9 mph maximum through six games this season and he just hadn’t impressed in general defensively since returning at shortstop.

It wasn’t going any better at the plate, with Crawford batting just .118 with a .462 OPS and overall being a -0.1 bWAR player who wasn’t helping a Mariners team already struggling as it was. The days of him winning a Gold Glove and producing a 5.2 bWAR were perceived as well in the rear view mirror, and the calls for Colt Emerson to be brought up to replace him were only growing.

The Mariners weren’t prepared to give up on one of their clubhouse leaders just yet, but knew they needed to find some way to get Crawford going. And so the decision was made to move him back up to first in the batting order where he’s spent the majority of his career (while Brendan Donovan has been dealing with an illness) and so far he’s repaying the team’s faith, even if it is only a small sample size.

J.P. Crawford helps end five-game losing streak

Crawford might not have been the main reason the Mariners beat the Astros 9-6 in Friday evening’s series opener, but he sure as heck played his part. In fact he got things going in the bottom of the first with a lead-off walk and was subsequently brought home by a wild pitch to opening the scoring.

The 31-year-old drew his second walk in the bottom of the fourth and then hit an RBI single in the bottom of the seventh to make it 8-3 to the Mariners. Certainly no one is going to complain if he gets on base three times a game, but as it turned out this was only setting the stage for what he would do a night later.

J.P. Crawford a factor for the Mariners from the very start

Crawford had a lead-off walk for the second straight game and this time he was brought home by Cal Raleigh’s home run, and the Mariners had a 2-0 lead. However, it then all seemed to fall apart as Luis Castillo had a disaster in allowing 10 hits and seven earned runs, to end his day before he could complete the fourth inning.

As we entered the bottom of the fifth the Astros still had a commanding 7-2 advantage, but then the Mariners got going and by the time Crawford came up to bat, he was facing a one-out situation with two men in scoring position. And at a time when they needed him to be clutch, he answered the call with a single which scored both runners and pulled the Mariners to within 7-4.

The 2013 16th overall draft pick wasn’t even done having an influence in the inning, as Julio Rodríguez finally went yard for the first time this season to bring them both home and tie the game at 7-7 through five. However, Crawford still wasn’t done and he would save his best for last … quite literally.

No one better for the Mariners in clutch situations

The anxiety and tension was rising among the 43,294 in attendance at T-Mobile Park by the time the ninth inning arrived, with them wondering if the Mariners would complete the comeback. And when the opportunity arrived in the bottom of the inning with one out and the bases loaded, Crawford came to the plate looking to deliver.

For all the criticism Crawford has received over the years by Mariners fans — and not all of it has been fair or even logical — the one thing he could never be accused of, was not stepping up in big moments. He entered the 2026 season as a career .373 hitter with the bases loaded, while his 146 wRC+ in high leverage situations is tied for ninth all time.

So no matter how polarizing Crawford has been during his tenure in Seattle, who better to step up for the biggest moment of the game? And of course he delivered yet again, as he belted an opposite-field single which scored Cole Young and gave the Mariners the walk-off win 8-7, after seemingly being dead and buried half way through the game.

It doesn’t get much bigger than being in a walk-off position and this was Crawford’s eight such plate appearance, to tie Mitch Haniger for the most ever in franchise history. And to really prove just how clutch the Long Beach, California native is, this was his seventh walk-off hit, which tied Jim Presley for the most ever by a Mariner.

A calm mind within the most chaotic of moments

With so much experience and success in big moments over the years, it really shouldn’t have been a surprise how level-headed and matter-of-fact Crawford is when the pressure is cranked. Asked by the media what was going through his mind when he stepped to the plate with the bases loaded, he said:

“Get the job done. Just do your job, handle business and not try to think too much. You know, just go out, put a good swing on it and find a hole.”

Despite Crawford’s confidence in such clutch situations, he still appreciates how much faith his teammates have in him and he makes sure to enjoy the moment. He said:

“It means everything. You know, it’s one of those moments where you dream of as a kid in the batting cages and honestly, it’s a dream come true. You have a chance to be the hero and you’ve got to capitalize.”

One thing which helped the Mariners on Saturday night was that they didn’t panic when they fell behind by five runs, and Crawford’s mentality was telling in helping the team claw their way back into the game. He said:

“My (mindset) says chip away. I’m not trying to do it all and come back in one inning. Just chip away here or there, get one, get two. We keep drawing our walks, which has been really good, keeping the line moving, and then a couple big hits and we’re right back in it.

Dan Wilson still as impressed as ever

Mariners manager Dan Wilson has seen it all before from Crawford, but still marvelled at how impressive he is, when discussing his latest walk-off hit. He said:

“I mean, what an at-bat, that’s just what he does. And even down 0-2, you don’t ideally want to be in an 0-2 situation, but you know he’s gonna make the best of it. And to take that at-bat and hit that ball the other way like he did, I mean that just shows you right what he’s thinking, what he’s trying to do. And we talk about it a lot. When the game’s on the line, using the middle of the field, using the other way, that’s exactly what he did. And that’s why he’s a leader in there. That’s why he’s a guy that you can really count on in those situations.”

It’s pretty much accepted that this is the final season in Seattle for one of the most popular players in the clubhouse, but Crawford has said all he’s focused on right now is winning. And wouldn’t it be fitting if as his final act he helped deliver a World Series championship with the Mariners, for his ultimate walk-off.

Photos court​‌esy of Tim Rogers Photography & Mariners Comms

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