San Francisco Giants: 5 Takeaways from the 2017 Season

2 – Crawford Finished Very Strong

2017 was a year to forget in many ways for Brandon Crawford. His on-field performance was much worse than Giants’ fans had come to expect, and that could be due in part to a terrible year for the family. As his family suffered numerous personal tragedies throughout the year, Crawford didn’t make excuses.

Whatever the cause, Crawford’s numbers suffered. Entering play on August 18th, Crawford was hitting .225/.274/.355 over his first 105 games of the year, all numbers well below his career norms. After that, Crawford was an entirely different hitter.

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Over his last 39 games of the season, Crawford was tearing the cover off the ball as he tried to make up for lost time. He hit .333/.395/.545 with 13 doubles and five home runs, and should’ve had another home run had MLB not made an egregious call on a replay review.

His final slash-line of .253/.305/.403 doesn’t look overly impressive, but comparing it to where it stood in the middle of August adds a little context that makes it something to be optimistic about. He led the team with 49 extra-base hits, 77 RBI, and tied for the lead with 34 doubles, which adds a little more optimism.

He put together some impressive numbers while struggling for so long. If he can start next season with a strong swing, that would be huge for a lineup in need of some pop.