(March 2, 2021, York, Pa.) — The York Revolution announced outfielder Rashad Crawford and catcher Tyler Hill will be joining the club for the 2021 season. The signings were announced by Revs manager Mark Mason live on Monday’s Revs Hot Stove Weekly presented by Shipley Energy on SportsRadio 98.9 FM & 1350 WOYK.
Crawford, 27, spent 2019 in the New York Yankees system, seeing 114 games with the former Double-A affiliate Trenton Thunder. The left-handed hitter ended the year with a .262 batting average, 105 hits, 21 extra-base hits including seven home runs, 47 RBI, and 21 stolen bases. A native of Atlanta, Crawford was an 11th round selection by the Chicago Cubs in the 2012 MLB Draft out of Mundy’s Mill High School in Clayton, GA.
In five years with the Cubs organization, Crawford started with the Arizona League Cubs in 2012 and reached High-A Myrtle Beach in 2016. While with Low-A Boise in 2014, Crawford was named a Northwest League Mid-Season All-Star as his performance featured a 19-game hitting streak from June 30 to July 19.
On July 25, 2016, Crawford was traded to the New York Yankees along with SS Gleyber Torres, RF Billy McKinney, and RHP Adam Warren in exchange for lefty closer Aroldis Chapman. The 6-foot-3 outfielder quickly rose to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre within his first two seasons with New York.
“The reports on him from a lot of the scouts have described ‘Major League tools’,” commented Mason. “He can play all three outfield positions and bring a lot of versatility here with the way he puts the ball in play, runs, and plays great defense so we’re really happy to have him. There’s a lot of upside for him, and he’s excited to get here.”
Entering his 9th season of professional baseball, Crawford is a .248 hitter with 578 hits, 145 extra-base hits (24 home runs), 255 RBI, and 119 stolen bases in 643 games. The speedster also has three seasons of 20 or more steals under his belt.
Hill, 24, played in the month-long 2020 Empire League Series in Washington, PA, with the Saranac Lake Surge. Hill was the first player selected in the series by Mason, who volunteered to manage the Surge in 2020 as the series took place in his western Pennsylvania hometown. Hill impressed with a .329 average, 25 hits, and 12 RBI including a 4-for-4 performance on September 16. The right-handed hitter also spent 2019, his first professional season, with the Surge. Across his Empire League career, Hill is a .325 hitter with 49 hits, 10 extra-base hits, and 28 RBI in 47 games.
“I thought Tyler was the best position player at the series,” stated Mason. “His pop times on throws to second base were incredible. He hit really well, and the thing that I liked about Tyler the most was that he was a natural leader among a bunch of players that he didn’t know beforehand. He’s an extremely hard worker and deserves an opportunity to come in and see what he can do here.”
The Lancaster, Ohio, native played college baseball for Fairmont State (WV) University. In his junior campaign, Hill earned All-Mountain East Conference honors with a .380 average, seven home runs, 36 RBI, and a .620 slugging percentage. A three-year starter, Hill batted .333 with 10 home runs, 74 RBI, 20 doubles, five triples, and a .492 slugging percentage in his four-year collegiate career.
The Revs will unveil more signings each week on Revs Hot Stove Weekly presented by Shipley Energy on SportsRadio 98.9 FM and 1350 WOYK. The next airing will be on Monday, March 8 at 6 p.m., and available online at 989woyk.com and on The New WOYK app.