Washington Nationals Star Rookie Draws Comparisons to Two-Time All-Star

This Washington Nationals outfielder and the franchise's top prospects reminds some of this current All-Star.

Sep 27, 2024; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Washington Nationals outfielder Dylan Crews (3) draws a walk during the second inning against the Philadelphia Phillies at Nationals Park. | James A. Pittman-Imagn Images

With Spring Training heating up for the Washington Nationals, the team is getting ready for what they hope will be an improved season in 2025.

There are a lot of reasons to be optimistic about next season for the Nationals. Even though the franchise has struggled quite a bit during their rebuilding in recent years

However, the losing has resulted in a lot of high draft picks for Washington and some of that top talent is getting ready to make an impact in the big leagues.

One player in particular who people around the league will be keeping an eye on is Dylan Crews. The exciting young outfielder was the second overall pick in 2023 behind his teammate in college, Paul Skenes.

The national champions are both expected to have excellent careers, and Skenes is off to a great start with the Pittsburgh Pirates.

While Crews was called up late last year, the sample size was small and he didn’t produce anything of significance. However, it was important for him to get a taste of the Majors, with the plan being for him to be an everyday player in 2025 for Washington.

The young outfielder has the appealing combination of both power and speed, which could result in some 20/20 or maybe even 30/30 seasons in the future.

Kiley McDaniel of ESPN.com recently wrote about the Top 100 prospects in baseball. On the list for the Nationals was Dylan Crews, who drew comparisons to Starling Marte.

Drawing a comparison between a talented player and a two-time All-Star in Marte is certainly some high praise.

With the Pirates early in his career, Marte was an excellent player as both a hitter and a fielder. The now 36-year-old might not be the same player that he once was, but he has had a couple of 20/20 seasons. He was certainly known for his speed more than his power.

For Crews, there are still a lot of different ways his career can go. As he gets older and stronger, the slugging numbers might increase and he might lose a step or two. However, it could be the opposite way as well and he might become more of a high-contact and speed guy.

Either way, there is a lot of reason to be excited about his potential. If he can reach the 20/20 mark as a rookie, he will be firmly in the National League rookie of the year conversation in 2025. Also, it would make him the first rookie to reach those numbers in franchise history.