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All American Game | Story | 3/31/2025

Phillies Prospects Recall Thrill of PGAAC

Jim Salisbury

They have moved on now and are quickly climbing the ladder toward their ultimate goal, the Major Leagues. But Justin Crawford and Aidan Miller, the two highest-ranking position player prospects in the Philadelphia Phillies organization, have never forgotten the impact that Perfect Game, and, in particular, the Dick’s Perfect Game All-American Classic, had on their rise as ballplayers.

“At that point as a high school player, I’d never seen 95 miles per hour,” Crawford said during spring training in Clearwater, Florida. “At that point, it exposed me to the best competition I’d ever seen in one place.

“I was kind of underrated and undersized. Then I had a good junior year so being a PG All-American became a huge goal of mine. I always knew I could play, but being selected for that game was a great accomplishment for me, kind of the start of, ‘OK, let’s see what happens at draft time.’ “

What happened was the Phillies made the speedy center fielder the 17th pick in the 2022 draft.

By his own description, Miller, a shortstop, was “a big PG guy.” He started playing in PG events at age 11 and didn’t stop until he was 18. “Probably 30-35 events in all,” he said. “I loved it.” At the end of his journey through PG, Miller was named winner of the 2022 Jackie Robinson Player of the Year Award. He was honored the night before playing in the 2022 PG All-American Classic.

“That was the main goal, you always wanted to make the PG All-American game,” Miller said. “For me, it was like a full circle moment because I had played in the 14-U Select Festival in Fort Myers."

The 2022 PGAAC was played at Chase Field in Phoenix. Miller’s East squad lost, 5-2, to the West.

Nonetheless …

“It was so cool,” he said. “So much fun. It was my first real taste of playing in a big-league park.

“They hook you up with all kinds of gear. You get a free glove, free custom bats. It’s crazy. Just a great experience.

“The summer circuit can be a grind. It’s so long. So, a big showcase game like that almost feels like a reward towards the end. You relax and just go out there and have fun.”

Miller recalled the rosters that assembled for the 2022 PGAAC.

“We were stacked,” he said. “Every team in that game is stacked.”

Miller came away from the PGAAC with more than just a new glove and bat. He built lasting relationships with fellow PG All-Americans. He mentioned going on a golfing trip with Bryce Eldridge (Giants), Kevin McGonigle (Tigers) and Colt Emerson (Mariners).

“It’s cool to keep in touch and follow them because we’re all on a similar path,” Miller said.

Miller’s path to the professional ranks and his lofty prospect status – he ranks 27th on MLB.com’s list of the Top 100 prospects – wasn’t as smooth as he would have preferred. He fractured the hook of the hamate bone in his left hand on the first swing of his senior season at J.W. Mitchell High School in New Port Richey, Florida. He ended up missing his entire senior season. Before the injury, Miller had been projected to go in the top half of the first round of the 2023 draft. He ended up going 27th overall to the Phillies.

“Since I missed my senior year in high school, scouts couldn’t come watch me play, so I think the last time they saw me was on that summer circuit, at PG events and on Team USA,” he said. “I didn’t realize how important that time was for my draft night and my career. I think if I wouldn’t have had as good a summer as I did, who knows if I’d be in this position right now. I might be at Arkansas. I think having a good summer and a good summer circuit ultimately helped me get drafted.”

Miller, who won’t turn 21 until June, scaled three levels of pro ball in 2024, finishing with a taste of Double A. He will open the 2025 season back at Double A and could be knocking on Philadelphia’s door in a year, or less.

Crawford, who turned 21 in January, is also bearing down on Philadelphia. Despite playing just 40 games at Double A in 2024, he's set to begin 2025 in Triple A. He is ranked No. 63 on MLB.com’s Top 100 prospects list.

Crawford and Miller both got a taste of the majors as they were invited to Phillies’ big-league camp this spring. They lockered next to each other, wearing smiles and uniform numbers 80 and 81, respectively. Chances are they’ll be trading in those football numbers one day.

The son of former major league All-Star Carl Crawford, Justin is a product of Bishop Gorman High School in Las Vegas. He played in the 2021 PGAAC in San Diego’s Petco Park. That game featured the sons of several other former major league All-Stars, including Jackson Holliday (Matt), Carsten Sabathia (CC) and Druw Jones (Andruw).

After three years at Chase Field in Phoenix, the DICK’s Perfect Game All-American Classic returns to San Diego and Petco Park in 2025. The 23rd annual event will be held August 17. Over the years, some of MLB’s top stars have played in the game, including Bryce Harper, Gunnar Henderson, Bobby Witt Jr., Gerrit Cole, Freddie Freeman, Francisco Lindor and Zack Wheeler. Of the 1,126 players that have participated in the previous 22 PG All-American Classic games, 850 were eventually selected in the MLB draft and 293 were first-round picks. Crawford and Miller are two of those first-rounders and soon they hope to join the 305 other PGAAC veterans who have gone on to play in the majors.

“That’s the goal and the dream, that we can come together and help the Phillies win games,” Crawford said.

PERFECTGAME.TV