Brandon Crawford: From UCLA Bruin to Giants Legend
Brandon Michael Crawford, born on January 21, 1987, is an American former professional baseball shortstop whose journey from a UCLA Bruin to a San Francisco Giants legend is a testament to his skill, perseverance, and dedication to the game. He spent 14 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB), playing all but his last season for the San Francisco Giants.
Early Life and College Career
Brandon Crawford was born in Mountain View, California. He attended Foothill High School in Pleasanton, where he excelled in football, basketball, and baseball. Crawford attended the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), where he majored in physiological sciences.
As a Bruin, Crawford helped lead UCLA to three-straight NCAA Regional appearances for the first time in school history and was an NCAA Regional All-Tournament selection in 2008. As a freshman, he earned first-team Freshman All-America honors from Baseball America, and he was an All-Pac-10 selection in 2007. He led the Bruins in hits and stolen bases in 2006 and 2007. He finished his collegiate career with a .319 career batting average, 230 hits, 20 home runs and 136 RBI. He still ranks third in UCLA history with 13 career triples.
Draft and Minor League Years
The San Francisco Giants selected Crawford in the fourth round, with the 117th overall selection, of the 2008 MLB draft, and he signed for a $375,000 signing bonus. Crawford started his first full season as a professional with the High-A San Jose Giants in 2009. In 2010, Crawford opened the season in Double-A (now with the Richmond Flying Squirrels) and earned an Eastern League mid-season All-Star nod, batting .241/.337/.375 in 79 games before suffering a broken hand in early July, which sidelined Crawford for nearly two months. When he recovered, he was assigned back to San Jose for the remainder of the season. In 2011, Crawford was invited to spring training but was set back by a broken finger suffered in the final week, and started the season in San Jose while he recovered. There he batted .322/.412/.593 in 59 at-bats.
MLB Debut and Early Years with the Giants (2011-2014)
The Giants promoted Crawford to the major leagues for the first time on May 26, 2011, following injuries to Buster Posey, Mike Fontenot, and Darren Ford. Crawford made his MLB debut on May 27 against the Milwaukee Brewers. His first MLB hit came in his third at bat of the game, and was a grand slam off the Brewers' Shaun Marcum. He joined Barry Bonds and Brian Dallimore as the only Giants to hit a grand slam as their first hit, taking Shaun Marcum of the Milwaukee Brewers deep in a 5-4 victory at Miller Park. Further, he became only the sixth big leaguer all-time to hit a grand slam in his first game. He played 66 games in his first look, failing to log more heroics with the bat in finishing at .204/.288/.296.
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In 2012, Crawford was named the team's opening day shortstop, in which he batted 8th in the lineup. He batted .248 with four home runs, 26 doubles, and 45 RBI in 143 games. Crawford was the Giants' starting shortstop for 2013, with Joaquín Árias as his backup. In 153 games, Crawford batted .246 and set career highs with ten home runs and 69 RBIs. On April 13, Crawford hit a tenth inning, walk-off home run against Rex Brothers of the Colorado Rockies.
In the 2014 postseason, Crawford led all Giants with 9 RBIs. In the fourth inning of the NL Wild Card Game between the Giants and Pittsburgh Pirates, Crawford hit a grand slam off of Edinson Vólquez, becoming the first shortstop to hit a grand slam in Major League Baseball postseason history. Crawford batted .304 (7-for-23) with 4 RBIs in the 2014 World Series, en route to his second championship with the Giants.
Peak Years and Accolades (2015-2018)
On January 27, 2015, the Giants and Crawford avoided arbitration by agreeing to a one-year, $3.175 million deal. On May 16, Crawford hit his third career grand slam (fourth including the postseason) and drove in a career-high six runs against Mike Leake of the Cincinnati Reds. In May, Crawford led the team in RBIs, and on July 1, Crawford set a new career-high with his 11th home run of the season. On July 6, Crawford was voted by his fellow Major League players as a reserve for the 2015 MLB All-Star Game. On August 14 at AT&T Park, in an 8-5 win over the Washington Nationals, Crawford hit his 100th career double. Crawford set career highs in several offensive categories, batting .256 with 21 home runs, 84 RBIs, 33 doubles, and 130 hits.
On April 8, 2016, Crawford hit a tenth inning, walk-off home run off Joe Blanton of the Los Angeles Dodgers in a game in which the Giants had been no-hit through 71⁄3 innings and recorded only two hits. On August 8 at Marlins Park, in an 8-7 win over the Miami Marlins that went into extra-innings, Crawford hit a career-high in base hits and singles with seven and five respectively. His seven hits tied the NL record for most total hits in a single game, and was the first time this feat had been done since Rennie Stennett in 1975. For the 2016 season, Crawford increased his batting average to a career-best .275 in 155 games played.
On April 29, 2017, Crawford was placed on the 10-day disabled list due to a right groin strain. In 2017, he batted .253/.305/.403 with 14 home runs and 77 RBI, and after the season he was awarded his third consecutive Gold Glove Award. He was the first shortstop to win three straight since Jimmy Rollins (2007-09), and the first Giant since J. T.
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On June 27, 2018, Crawford hit a walk-off home run against the Colorado Rockies to win the game 1-0 for the Giants. Crawford became the first Giants player since Steve Decker in April 1991 to hit a walk-off solo homer to win a 1-0 game. Batting .300 with ten home runs and 39 RBIs, Crawford was named the starting shortstop for the 2018 MLB All-Star Game. Crawford hit .193 in the second half, battling injuries throughout the second half. A left-handed hitter, Crawford had a higher batting average against left-hand pitching than right-hand pitching at .274.
Later Years and Retirement (2019-2024)
Against the Rockies on July 15, 2019, he had five hits in six at bats including two home runs and a career-high eight runs batted in during the Giants' 19-2 victory. The eight RBIs tied the San Francisco team record held by Willie Mays and Orlando Cepeda. He won the 2021 National League Gold Glove Award at shortstop. With four Gold Glove Awards he became tied with former first baseman J.T. Following the offseason departure of fellow infielder Brandon Belt, Crawford became the longest tenured member of the Giants.
He made his first major-league appearance as a pitcher with a scoreless ninth inning of relief in a 13-3 victory over the Chicago Cubs on June 11. In 2021, Crawford had mentioned his desire to eventually pitch in a big league game, although at the time manager Gabe Kapler declined to allow it, citing Crawford’s extreme value at shortstop. During the appearance, Crawford’s fastball reached 89.7 mph, a speed he matched in a bullpen session earlier in the season. On July 7, he hit a two-run home run off Austin Gomber of the Colorado Rockies, moving him into 6th place on the Giants’ San Francisco-era RBI leaderboard.
Crawford’s 2023 season included multiple trips to the 10-day injured list. Nearing the end of the season, speculation began to grow about Crawford’s future, not just within the organization but with regards to a potential retirement as well. In the latter half of a season in which he set offensive career lows, Crawford remained mute about his future within the sport. On October 1, 2023, Crawford played in what many speculated could be his final game for the Giants, a 5-2 loss against the Los Angeles Dodgers. Prior to the game, Crawford’s four children threw the ceremonial first pitches. Throughout the game, Crawford received standing ovations from fans, and was removed from the game by manager Kai Correa in the 9th inning, allowing him to walk off the field to one final standing ovation from the Giants fans. After the season drew to a close, Crawford expressed his desire to remain with the Giants in any capacity, including significantly reduced playing time.
In response to the Cardinals offering Crawford a 1-year $2 million dollar contract, his agent Joel Wolfe reached out to the Giants to explore the possibility of Crawford returning to the team. However, President of Baseball Operations Farhan Zaidi declined to guarantee him a roster spot, citing the difficulty in maintaining a club legend as a backup, instead inviting him to training camp as a non-roster invitee.
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On February 27, 2024, Crawford signed a one-year, $2 million contract with the St. Louis Cardinals. In 28 games for St. Louis, he slashed .169/.263/.282 with one home run and four RBI. Crawford represented Team USA at the 2017 World Baseball Classic. On April 26, 2025 at Oracle Park, the Giants organization, which ranged from alumni, coaches, executives, and former players, honored Crawford in a pregame ceremony. Crawford was also surrounded by his family.
Following the 2023 season, he became a free agent, and at 36 and coming off a poor year, it looked like his career was over as the Giants were not interested in bringing him back, but he managed to find another team willing to give him a look. On February 26, 2024, he signed a minor league contract with the St. Louis Cardinals. He was considered an insurance policy given that the team's projected starter at shortstop, Tommy Edman was still recovering from wrist surgery, and his projected replacement, Masyn Winn, was a raw rookie. In 28 games, he went 12 for 71 (.169), only receiving sparse playing time as Winn proved to be a mich better option for St. Louis. On August 20th, he was officially handed his unconditional release, and the following November he announced his retirement after a very solid career in the majors.
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