Washington Nationals Top Prospect Has Unrealized Power Potential To Unleash
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The Washington Nationals have done a great job of building a deep and talented stable of prospects over the last few years.
It is the only thing that has made enduring all of the losing at the Major League level a little easier to stomach since brighter days are on the horizon.
A glimpse of that potential was shown in 2024 when the team turned into a full youth movement.
Top prospects, such as left fielder James Wood, were called up in the middle of the summer and given a chance to play through some growing pains to build the foundation of the franchise.
He made his highly anticipated debut on July 1.
A few weeks later, the team’s new top prospect, Dylan Crews, did the same.
The No. 2 overall pick in the 2023 MLB draft out of LSU was pushed through the minor league system rapidly. Only 135 games in the minors were played before he mad his big league debut last August.
His first stint at the Major League level wasn’t overly impactful.
Crews had a slash line of .219/.288/.353 with three home runs, five doubles and one triple. He made an impact on the base paths with 12 steals and could become a real difference maker in that regard once he gets his on-base percentage ticking up in the right direction.
That slow start should do nothing to impact his outlook, as he still has one of the brightest futures amongst young outfielders in the game.
A part of his game that will eventually shine through once he gets more experience is the power.
Over at MLB.com, Jim Callis, Jonathan Mayo and Sam Dykstra put together a piece highlighting the best power hitting prospect in every organization.
For the Nationals, Crews was the pick.
That may surprise some people since he hit only 21 home runs in 739 professional plate appearances. But, some of the underlying statistics from his short time in the Majors suggests there is untapped power potential that will eventually shine through.
His hard-hit rate of 45.2% is well above the league average of 39%. His 2.3% home run rate was slightly below average, but there are ways he can improve that number.
The most important will be getting the ball into the air more.
Crews had a ground ball rate of 56.4% and a fly ball rate of 21.3%. The league average for those statistics are 41.9% and 26.4%. His line drive rate of 13.8% was also well below the average of 23.7%.
Once he gets used to handling Major League pitching, those numbers will start to adjust in the right direction, and his production will take off as a result.
Given the speed and defensive acumen he possesses as well, Crews has legitimate offensive potential as a five-tool player.
