Scott White posted Friday that he is not a believer in Brandon Crawford's apparent breakout so far this season for the Giants.
Crawford has been one of the five best shortstops in all of Fantasy through the first three weeks of the season, thanks to a .328 batting average, three home runs and 12 runs scored.
Are there any signs that point to him sustaining this success?
Crawford has shown an improved eye at the plate, walking in 9.1 percent of his plate appearances and striking out in 16.7 percent. Both of which are better than his career norms and have helped him to a .328 batting average and .409 on-base percentage.
Unfortunately, he is also fueled by a .364 batting average on balls in play that he almost certainly will not be able to sustain. However, he does have a solid 21.3 percent line drive rate that indicates he is making good contact.
If Crawford can sustain his refined approach at the plate, he may be able to keep a solid batting average, but the biggest place he is likely to fall off is in the power department.
After entering the season with just seven home runs in 631 at bats at the major-league level, he already has three in 58 at bats. Usually, an increase in home runs can be explained by a batter making a more concerted effort to put the ball in the air, but that has not been the case thus far for Crawford. He has hit a career-low 27.7 percent of his batted balls in the air, a sure sign that this power spike is not sustainable.
White's skepticism regarding Crawford seems justified, so Fantasy owners who are rushing out to grab him (added in 42 percent of leagues over the last week) should know that this is likely as good as it gets for the 26-year-old.