Trevor Crowe

Trevor Crowe: Outfielder

Age: 23 Height: 6’0” Weight: 190 Bats: Switch Throws: Right

Stats & Stuff: After taking him with the 1st pick in the 2005 draft out of the University of Arizona, Crowe has been as advertised. After a somewhat disappointing debut in 2005 when he hit .251/.322/.331 at Lake County, Crowe started off with a bang in 2006. At Kinston last year, Crowe hit .329/.449/.470 and had 29 stolen bases in 60 games before he was called up to Akron mid-season. At Akron, Crowe continued his torrid hitting. Crowe was sidelined a few weeks after being called up with an ankle injury, and it slowed him down offensively. The Indians also experimented with him at second-base, which was another reason he struggled last in the year. The position switch and injury hindered Crowe the last month of the season, and his final numbers at Akron dipped to .234/.318/.325. Overall in 2006, Crowe hit .286/.393/.405 with 5 HRs, 44 RBIs and 45 stolen bases in 101 games.

The Good: Crowe’s bat and above average speed on the bases play right now in the majors, and he not only hits for average with some pop, but he has excellent plate discipline and pitch recognition skills. His patience at the plate and ability to work counts very well was shown with his 68 walks and only 71 strikeouts, and his approach makes him a potential leadoff or 2-hole hitter for the Indians down the road. Baseball America ranked him #1 in the Carolina League as the league’s “Best Batting Prospect”, the player with the “Best Strike Zone Judgment”, and as the league’s “Most Exciting Player”.

Crowe has a very advanced bat, which will allow him to be moved quickly through the farm system. Defensively, Crowe grades out as an above average center-fielder with an above average arm. Crowe has a contagious swagger, and is a very high energy and explosive player who has an engine that never stops. The Indians feel he will hit for more power in the future, and prior to nixing the second-base move felt his best comp as a major leaguer was Brian Roberts of the Orioles. Even as an outfielder, Roberts is exactly the offensive player the Indians envision Crowe being.

The Bad: While he has good speed, he really doesn't have the quickness or range to play center-field in the big leagues which will push him to left-field. Crowe also has had trouble staying away from the injury bug in his two years as a pro. In 2005, he was hampered with a few nagging injuries, and in 2006 he missed parts of the season on the disabled list for a strained oblique and ankle sprain. Also, the Indians this off-season decided to nix the second-base experiment for Crowe. The general feeling was that it would take at least two years for him to become adequate at the position defensively, and when weighing this with where he is at currently as an offensive player, they just did not want to slow down Crowe’s progress.

The Outlook: Crowe will play center-field next year in the minors, but with Grady Sizemore firmly planted in center-field for the Indians, when Crowe does make the Indians roster it is likely he will play left-field. Crowe is ahead of the curve somewhat, and is on the fast track to the major leagues. While it looks like he will start 2007 in Buffalo, he actually may return to Akron to start the 2007 season before moving up to Buffalo mid-season. With Franklin Gutierrez and Ben Francisco likely to return to Buffalo, and the Indians likely to push Brad Snyder and maybe Ryan Goleski up to Buffalo first, Crowe presumably will remain in Akron the first month or so and play center-field full-time. With Crowe back in the outfield for good, depending on his performance and injuries/performance issues with players at the major league level, Crowe could figure into the outfield mix and be a mid-season call-up in 2007.

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