Nationals Outfielder Dylan Crews Continues to Baffle Analysts

Back in 2023, it seemed like the Washington Nationals drafted the future face of their franchise when they selected LSU star outfielder Dylan Crews at pick No. 2.

Crews was the total package coming out of college. He had a storied prep career where he played for USA Baseball twice and won a gold medal on the 18U team. He then lived up to the hype at LSU where he won the Golden Spikes Award during his final season while winning the College World Series as the team's best all-around player. He could hit, field, run and throw exceptionally well, and it appeared like he was a true "can't-miss" prospect.

But he has struggled as a professional, let alone as a big league player. Not only has Crews been a massive disappointment compared to his lofty superstar expectations, but there is a real worry that he might be considered one of the biggest busts of all time if things don't get turned around soon.

Currently Profiling as a Fourth Outfielder

Washington Nationals outfielder Dylan Crews | Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

The Crews conundrum continues to baffle analysts and evaluators alike. Dave Schoenfield of ESPN is the latest one to share his thoughts about the situation, and what he wrote about Crews in his latest piece that evaluates former top prospects at this stage of their careers is concerning.

"This has been one of the most surprising developments in recent years, as Crews projected as one of the most polished, ready-for-the-majors college hitters in a long time. He just hasn't hit as expected. ... Crews can run and has played good defense, but right now he's profiling as a fourth outfielder instead of the foundational player the Nationals expected when they drafted him," he wrote.

It goes without saying that's a massive disappointment. When he was drafted, the Nationals believed they were getting a future multi-time All-Star. And based on the way he had played up to that point in his career, there was no reason to think that wouldn't be the case.

But now, even after putting him in Triple-A at the start of this season to have him work on things, he has returned to the majors and has slashed just .208/.255/.292 with an OPS+ that is 44 points below the league average mark of 100.

This Could Just Be What Dylan Crews Is in the Majors

The biggest cause for concern is the fact that there are a bunch of little things he can improve upon, but it's not a certainty that those will elevate his game and turn him into a star at this level.

For example, he strikes out 22.2% of the time, which is right below the league average mark. His chase rate is just above league average and his in-zone contact percentage is league average. He even has a higher exit velocity and hard-hit rate than average, yet he continues to be a well below average hitter in the MLB.

One thing that would potentially help him is to elevate the ball more often. He hits grounders 52.4% of the time, which is something that they tried to remedy down in Triple-A. Unfortunately, things haven't clicked for him this year just yet, as his ground-ball rate is 55.3% through 13 games.

It's hard to give up on Crews, though. He's just 24 years old and has a pedigree that is difficult to ignore. But so far, he hasn't pieced everything together in The Show, and that continues to baffle people.

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