Another day, another Cardinal electing to switch over to pro baseball. Former Stanford quarterback Evan Crower signed a minor-league deal with the Philadelphia Phillies Tuesday.
Crower becomes the latest in a growing line of Stanford football players who have traded in football cleats for baseball spikes. Two of the more memorable examples would be running back Tyler Gaffney and safety Zach Hoffpauir.
The former QB made his was to Palm Springs to work out for the team at the California Winter League earlier this week. Things went exceptionally well and Crower signed a contract after the first day of try-outs. The marks the quickest anyone associated with the league has ever signed a deal.
“It’s crazy,” said Crower. “I’m very excited for the opportunity and to start the grind.”
It’s not hard to see what the Phillies liked about Crower. Listed by Stanford at 6-5 and 215 pounds, he possesses an ideal build for a pitcher. It also doesn’t hurt that he’s a lefty who flashed a mid-90’s fastball during the workout.
The Phillies system, once rich with left-handed pitching prospects, suddenly looks a little more thin after a number of lefties (Jesse Biddle, Tom Windle and Matt Imhof) suffered through disappointing 2015 seasons.
Crower originally intended to play both baseball and football while at Stanford, but plans changed once he got on campus and he chose football only. During his time with the Cardinals, he backed up both Andrew Luck and Kevin Hogan. He played reasonably well in the few chances he got, connecting on 25 of his 42 pass attempts for 324 yards and three touchdowns.
Expect Crower is play for one of the Phillies Single-A affiliates next season. As he’s going to start the season as a 22-year-old rookie, he’s going to need to progress quickly or he runs the risk of being passed by.
