Phillies promote top prospect Crawford to Double-A

PHILADELPHIA -- As of Friday night, J.P. Crawford is one step closer to his future.

After blazing through Class A Advanced ball, the 20-year-old shortstop prospect has been promoted to Double-A Reading, effective immediately.

Crawford, who was the Phillies' first-round pick back in the 2013 MLB Draft, batted .303 in 83 games at Class A Advanced Clearwater over the past two seasons. In 20 games this season, he kicked his play into an even higher gear, batting .392 and reaching base nearly every other at-bat with an on-base percentage of .494.

On the Reading roster, he will join the Phillies' first-round pick from the 2014 MLB Draft, Aaron Nola, and 2010 first-round pick, Jesse Biddle, both of whom are starting pitchers.

Crawford attended Lakewood High School in Lakewood, Calif., an hour-and-a-half up the Pacific Coast from where Phillies ace Cole Hamels went to high school nearly a decade ago.