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Mariners' Conundrum With J.P. Crawford Highlighted With Pair of Plays Against Royals
TL;DR
In a 4-1 loss to the Royals, J.P. Crawford's performance highlighted his inconsistent fielding, making a costly error and then executing a double play. This has sparked debate about his role on the Mariners this season.
Key points
- J.P. Crawford made a fielding error in the eighth inning.
- Crawford later executed a double play against the Royals.
- His performance has sparked debate about his role on the Mariners.
- The Mariners lost the game 4-1 to the Royals.
Seattle MarinersKansas City RoyalsJ.P. CrawfordSalvador Perez
SEATTLE — In the top of the eighth inning of an eventual 4-1 Seattle Mariners loss to the Kansas City Royals on Sunday at T-Mobile Park, the longest-tenured player on the Mariners roster had a pair of plays that perfectly exemplifies an ongoing conundrum for the M's.
In the first plate appearance in the top of the eighth, Kansas City designated hitter Salvador Perez hit a ground ball to the left side of Seattle shortstop J.P. Crawford.
The veteran infielder, who's in his eighth season with the organization, failed to cleanly scoop the hit and was dinged with a fielding error as Perez's ground ball rolled into the shallow outfield.
Four hitters later, Crawford made an excellent grab on a line drive hit by Royals second baseman Michael Massey and made a quick turn-and-toss to Cole Young at second base to complete an inning-ending 6-4 double play.
That pair of eighth-inning plays encapsulates an ongoing debate on what Crawford's role should be on the team this year.
Statistically, Crawford's defensive metrics have taken a noticeable step back from his Gold Glove-caliber season in 2020.
The 31-year-old shortstop has negative-four outs above average (OAA), per Baseball Savant. That mark ranks in the second percentile of the major leagues. Crawford's range/arm strength is clocked at 77.6 miles per hour, which ranks in the 12th percentile of baseball.
For a team that ranks dead-last in the major leagues in OAA (-16), having a shortstop with a negative defensive impact isn't ideal.
Q&A
What error did J.P. Crawford make against the Royals?
J.P. Crawford committed a fielding error on a ground ball hit by Salvador Perez, allowing the ball to roll into the outfield.
How did J.P. Crawford perform after his error in the game?
After his error, Crawford made a great catch on a line drive and completed an inning-ending double play with a quick throw to Cole Young.
What is the ongoing debate regarding J.P. Crawford's role on the Mariners?
The debate centers around his inconsistent fielding performance and what his role should be on the team this season.
What was the final score of the Mariners vs. Royals game?
The Seattle Mariners lost to the Kansas City Royals with a final score of 4-1.