First-rounder Crawford shows off easy power in Oracle Park BP

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SAN FRANCISCO -- Unlike most recent Giants first-rounders, Reggie Crawford is already familiar with Oracle Park. His uncle lives nearby and Crawford borrowed his jacket from the 2007 All-Star Game when he hopped on a Zoom call with reporters after being drafted 30th overall last month.

The Giants didn't want to just bring him out to see the ballpark, so they mixed things up. Crawford took batting practice with the team before Wednesday's game and fit right in, even though he's years away from potentially debuting at Oracle Park.

The 21-year-old showed off very easy power, putting more than a half-dozen balls over the wall in center and into the arcade during three rounds. The most impressive shot cleared the wall in the deepest part of the yard, landing in the seats above Triples Alley. The tracking system on the scoreboard had that one leaving the bat at 110 mph and traveling an estimated 450 feet. 

Before he hit, Crawford sat down with reporters, saying he was excited about the opportunity and hoped to put a ball or two in McCovey Cove. 

"It's going to be a really cool experience," he said. "I understand that it's a fairly unique experience so I'm going to enjoy it as much as I can."

Crawford spent time in the clubhouse before the game and said he was particularly excited to chat with Logan Webb, who reached out on social media after Crawford was drafted

"I was pumped about that," he said. "Talking to him about pitching and stuff, it's going to be pretty cool. I just like watching. You can take a lot just from watching these guys go about their business, how they handle themselves, how they go about BP."

Crawford soaked it all in and now it's back to Arizona, where he continues to rehab from Tommy John surgery. Drafted as a two-way player, Crawford has been the DH a couple times already in rookie league games, and the plan is for him to hit the rest of the summer but not pitch. Crawford is just getting going in a throwing progression, and the Giants won't get him off a mound until next spring.

RELATED: How Giants pick Crawford nearly chose swimming over baseball

If all goes according to plan, Crawford will attack the 2023 season as a true two-way player. For now, the Giants just want him to get comfortable and enjoy his first taste of the organization. Crawford was all smiles Wednesday as he took in the scene with his mom and two younger sisters, one of whom had never been on a flight until she flew from Pennsylvania to San Francisco. 

"She was excited about the trip from the draft," he said. "She just kept asking, 'When are we going? When are we going?'"

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