Carl Crawford may be 0-7 with four strikeouts to start the season but that isn’t why his stock is falling.
Analysis: Carl Crawford’s stock is falling because of where he is currently hitting the the Red Sox batting order. Crawford is hitting third after spending his whole career either leading off or hitting in the two spot with Tampa. His potential stolen base numbers from hitting third in the order concern me a great deal and we can look to Hanley Ramirez to show you why. Hanley lead off for Florida in 2006 and 2007 and he stole 51 bases each year. Fast forward to 2008 where he batted third and he only stole 35 bags. Hanley has been hitting third ever since and has not come close to stealing forty bags. If Crawford remains in the three spot behind protypical lead off batter Jacoby Ellsbury and prototypical two hitter Dustin Pedroia he has a problem. His problem now becomes yours because you drafted a guy whose greatest asset is now in check and he has never hit twenty homers in a season.
Projection: If Crawford remains in the three spot in the batting order he won’t even come close to sniffing fifty swipes this year. Obviously you have to wait and see if his spot in the order is set in stone or if injuries to Ellsbury or Pedroia occur, but right now his potential stolen base numbers this year have taken a hit.