Michael Crabtree is hearing late-May hosannas from Jim Harbaugh (the best hands ever!) and now Alex Smith, who said Wednesday that he’s never seen the fourth-year wide receiver with such a spring in his step.

“He’s healthy and I think he’s excited about that,” Smith said. “I think he’s feeling really good. You come out and watch and he’s running better than he ever has since I’ve seen him. Running really well out here, making plays. It’s exciting to see.”

Of course, plenty of fans aren’t buying into Crabtree’s spring stardom based his work, or lack thereof, last winter when it mattered most.

Crabtree’s totals from two playoff games: 5 catches, 28 yards and at least two drops.

In the NFC Championship Game, he had one catch. His longest catch of the postseason: 9 yards.

His big-game vanishing act can’t be dismissed, but it has overshadowed the fact that Crabtree, viewed by many as a top-10 draft bust, put up No. 1-wideout-worthy numbers during the final two-and-half months of 2011. In the season’s final 11 games, Crabtree had 61 catches for 742 yards and four touchdowns, which would translate to 89 catches, 1,079 yards and six touchdowns over a 16-game season.

During that stretch, Crabtree had more receptions than Arizona’s Larry Fitzgerald, Kansas City’s Dwayne Bowe and then-Dolphins wideout Brandon Marshall had in their final 11 games. He also had more yards than Pittsburgh’s Mike Wallace and as many touchdowns as New England’s Wes Welker.

Crabtree doesn’t have the size, speed or pedigree of Randy Moss. He doesn’t have the big-game heroics of Mario Manningham. And he doesn’t possess the promising clean slate of first-round pick A.J. Jenkins.

Still, while Moss was in retirement, Manningham was in the midst of an injury plagued 39-catch season and Jenkins was in the Big Ten, Crabtree was quietly producing like a No. 1 NFL wide receiver during the latter stages of 2011.

If he can maintain his current health, it’s a title he could hold in 2012, even with the added competition on the roster.

“I know a lot of the new faces get a lot of the attention,” Smith said. “But he’s doing really well here.”

* Below is a look at how Crabtree ranked among the wide receivers that finished among the NFL’s top 10 in receptions and yards in 2011. The numbers are from each wideout’s final 11 games of the regular season:

RECEPTIONS

1. Wes Welker, Patriots, 77

2. Percy Harvin, Vikings, 69

T3. Marques Colston, Saints, 68

T3. Roddy White, Falcons, 68

5. Calvin Johnson, Lions, 67

6. Victor Cruz, Giants, 63

7. Michael Crabtree, 49ers, 61

8. Dwayne Bowe, Chiefs, 58

T9. Larry Fitzgerald, Cardinals, 53

T9. Brandon Marshall, Dolphins, 53

11. Steve Smith, Panthers, 52

YARDS

1. Calvin Johnson, Lions, 1,230

2. Victor Cruz, Giants, 1,150

3. Larry Fitzgerald, Cardinals, 984

4. Jordy Nelson, Packers, 954

5. Roddy White, Falcons, 944

6. Wes Welker, Patriots, 829

7. Brandon Marshall, Dolphins, 792

8. Steve Smith, Panthers, 785

9. Hakeem Nicks, Giants, 780

10. Michael Crabtree, 49ers, 742

11. Mike Wallace, Steelers, 657