When he was at LSU, Dylan Crews was one of the most intriguing draft prospects. Over his three years in college baseball, he established himself as one of the best players in the country. Over 196 games with the Tigers, he slashed .380/.498/.689 with 58 home runs and 184 RBIs. He also played a pivotal role in LSU’s run to the national championship in 2023. This strong college career caused the Washington Nationals to select him second overall in the 2023 MLB Draft.
Crews continued this strong play in the minor leagues, working his way up to the number one prospect in the Nationals system. But during his brief time in the majors, he has been unable to replicate that success. In 116 career games, he’s slashed .211/ .282/.352 with 13 home runs, 13 RBIs, and an OPS+ of 75. His struggles were so bad that the Nationals sent him to Triple-A to start the season. But after 41 games, the Nationals feel that Crews is ready for another shot. Is this the time that he starts to live up to expectations?
Will This Be When Dylan Crews Breaks Out
During his time with Triple-A Rochester this season, Crews put up average numbers. He slashed .258/.345/.432 with five home runs and 20 RBIs. While these numbers do not jump off the page, he did rank in the top five on the team in nearly every offensive category. So he was one of the most important bats in the Red Wings lineup. He has also been much better in May, hitting near .300 and hitting a couple of home runs. The Nationals feel that all of this helped Crews clear his head and regain some confidence.
Now the Nationals plan to give Crews every day playing time. Whether that be at one of the corner outfield spots or at designated hitter, his bat should be in the lineup as much as possible. These constant at-bats should help him adjust to major-league pitching. We know that when he makes contact, it’s some of the best in baseball. The problem is that he’s been overmatched by big-league pitches, leading to a lot of swing-and-miss. If he can make the adjustments, he should be able to put up decent numbers.
What will also help Crews is that he is no longer expected to be one of the faces of the franchise. When he was drafted, many felt that Crews would follow the likes of Bryce Harper and Juan Soto and become the face of the competitive Nationals team. But that is no longer the case. With players like CJ Abrams, James Wood, and Daylen Lile off to fast starts, they will garner all the attention. This will allow Crews to stay out of the spotlight and take some of the pressure to succeed off of him.
There is also no pressure for Crews to turn the Nationals’ season around. While they have played decent baseball, 2026 is a rebuilding year for the Nats. It’s about developing players and identifying who will be part of the next core. The perfect situation for a struggling player to find themselves. Every bad moment won’t be highlighted to make it feel like the moment the season fell apart. It’s the perfect chance to learn and improve his game.
Everything is lining up for Cres to finally have some success at the MLB level. While it may not be the type of production we expected when he was at LSU, it should be enough to keep him in the majors for years to come.
