Mariners' J.P. Crawford: Adds muscle in offseason

Crawford spent the offseason working with strength and conditioning coach James Clifton and put on 10 pounds of muscle, Greg Johns of MLB.com reports.

The 25-year-old frequently made a mockery of big-league pitching during a breakout June last season, slashing .338/.413/.569 with two home runs and 17 RBI across 16 games during the month. However, that surge was followed by a significant downturn over the last three months of the season, with Crawford hitting just .178 across his final 60 games and also missing some time due to a strained right hamstring. Both the extended slump and the injury pointed toward a need for Crawford to get stronger, hence his diligent offseason program aimed at achieving that goal. The promising shortstop, who flashed an improve glove last season, says he already feels the increased strength paying dividends in terms of both the exit velocity of his batted balls and his throws across the diamond.