Carl Crawford is Solid, but Overrated

When Marshawn Lynch claimed, "It don't get no better than solid, baby," it must have been out of respect for Tampa Bay Rays outfielder Carl Crawford.

For some reason, it seems every sportswriter and pundit in America is operating under the assumption that Carl Crawford is perennially underrated.

I say nay: He is overrated.

He is a perfectly good, slightly above average, solid outfielder; he's viewed as an untouchable, franchise player by way too many people.

Crawford may be "stupid fast," but anyone who thinks he should be untouchable is stupid dumb. From '05-'07, the three best years of his career, he posted a nice .307 batting average, a very good 51 steals per season (and was caught, on average, just nine times per season), a respectable 15 home runs a year, and a ho-hum, but useful, .816 OPS.

This season, his average has fallen to .270 and his OPS is a miserly .700. The speed is still there (23 steals in 29 attempts), but he only has 21 extra-base hits, including a shockingly low eight doubles.

While his range in left is certainly elite, his arm is below average. On the whole, defensively, he's once again solid.

Where is his place in the pantheon of American League left fielders?

This season, AL left fielders Johnny Damon, Manny Ramirez, Carlos Guillen, Carlos Quentin, Raul Ibanez, Luke Scott, Jack Cust, and Marcus Thames have all offered substantially more at the plate.

Delmon Young has posted similar numbers, but with a bit less than half the steals. That's nine left fielders (two from Detroit, where Guillen DH's frequently) with comparable numbers or more production than Crawford in 2008.

Going off his three-year peripherals listed above, he still wouldn't rank in the top 10 in the major leagues in terms of production at the plate.

So, how exactly is he underrated?

I get it, he's faaaaaaast! He puts pressure on pitchers when he is on base, and he can turn a single into a double with a steal.

What can't speed do? Speed doesn't advance runners, speed doesn't knock the ball out the park, and speed doesn't add extra lift on a throw from the warning track. His power numbers seem to be fading, and even in the best year of his career, his production at the plate doesn't measure close to the Beast Mode outfielders.

Speed can't change that.

At this rate, as he ages and his speed dwindles, he'll be another Jacque Jones. Solid.

Crawford better hope that, particularly in his 2010 free-agency year, baseball people agree with the sentiment cultivated by the media and Marshawn Lynch that, "it don't get no better than solid."