How Reggie Crawford Went From Pennsylvania Swimming Champion to Baseball Unicorn

Reggie Crawford doesn’t look back fondly on his high school swimming days — too many early-morning wake ups and grueling two-a-day training sessions, even though his hard work paid off in the form of a Pennsylvania state title in 2018.

However, the San Francisco Giants’ No. 8 prospect does credit the pool for helping turn him into one of the most intriguing players in baseball today.

Growing up, Crawford focused on swimming because he was good at it, and he saw it as a pathway to a college scholarship. It appeared as if his plan was in motion after he tied the PIAA 2A record from prelims in the 50-yard freestyle (20.45) en route to the state title as a junior at North Schuylkill High School. The PIAA 2A record holder from the year prior was Gabe Castano (20.50), who went on to compete at Penn State and represent Mexico at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021.

“The goal was the Olympics,” said Crawford, who claimed he was recruited by Arizona State and Florida. “The state record that I broke my junior year was set the previous year by a senior. He went to Penn State and he just swam in the past Olympics. So yeah, that was where we were setting our sights.”

A recent MLB.com feature may have exaggerated Crawford’s chances of making the Olympics, noting that “he was near Olympic-level” and “could’ve been an Olympian.” He still hadn’t earned an Olympic Trials cut heading into his senior year of high school, though he still had a couple years remaining to do so before Tokyo.

But there’s no denying Crawford’s future in swimming was bright. The only problem was he didn’t love the sport like he loved baseball.

Crawford switched back to baseball as a high school senior and the rest is history. The 6-foot-4, 200-pounder committed to UConn, broke out with 62 RBIs as a sophomore (the most by a Husky since George Springer back in 2010), and was drafted 30th overall in the first round of the 2022 MLB Draft by the San Francisco Giants even after undergoing Tommy John surgery.

What makes Crawford so special on the baseball field is his potential as a two-way prospect, meaning he pitches and hits at a high level. The 23-year-old made his professional debut in the minor leagues last year, striking out 32 batters in just 19 innings while also displaying serious power at the plate.

“There may only be one player in professional baseball who has a more impressive combination of athleticism, arm strength, and power than Crawford,” Sports Illustrated wrote in June, “and that’s Shohei Ohtani.”

Crawford credits his swimming foundation for fueling his rapid rise. Not only did it strengthen his cardiovascular system, but his brutal training regimen prepared him for anything mentally.

“The mindset’s the big thing,” Crawford said. “I know that I will never do anything on the baseball field or in the weight room that’s as hard as [swimming].

“I get in the pool sometimes,” he added. “It takes me a while. I’ll stand there and look at the water, have to fight some demons. But I’ll swim some laps sometimes. Make sure I still got it.”