| Dylan Crews | |
| Team: | Washington Nationals |
| Position: | Outfielder |
| Birth Date: | 26 February 2002 |
| Birth Place: | Altamonte Springs, Florida, U.S. |
| Bats: | Right |
| Throws: | Right |
| Highlights: |
|
Dylan Gray Crews (born February 26, 2002) is an American professional baseball outfielder in the Washington Nationals organization. He was selected second overall by the Nationals in the 2023 Major League Baseball draft. Crews won the 2023 Golden Spikes Award and earned two consensus All-American honors. He also spent two years with the U.S. collegiate national team.
Crews was born on February 26, 2002, in Altamonte Springs, Florida, later attending Lake Mary High School in Lake Mary, Florida.[1] During his amateur career, he played for USA Baseball twice, once on their 14U team and once on their 18U team that won a gold medal.[2] As a junior in 2019, he batted .389 with 15 stolen bases.[3] That summer, he played in the Under Armour All-America Baseball Game at Wrigley Field.[4] Although his senior season in 2020 was cut short due to the COVID-19 pandemic, he was considered a top prospect for the 2020 Major League Baseball draft.[5] However, he withdrew his name a week before, announcing he would fulfill his commitment to play college baseball at Louisiana State University.[6] [7] [8]
Crews immediately became LSU's starting right fielder as a freshman in 2021.[9] He started 63 games during the season, batting .362 with 18 home runs, 42 RBIs, 16 doubles, and 12 stolen bases.[10] His 18 home runs were the most ever by a LSU freshman, surpassing Mike Fontenot's previous record of 17.[11] He earned All-American honors and was named National Freshman of the Year by Perfect Game.[12] [13] He was named to the United States national baseball team after the season.[14] He also briefly played for the Sanford River Rats of the Florida Collegiate Summer League.[15] In 2022, Crews shifted to center field.[16] He was named the co-Southeastern Conference Baseball Player of the Year alongside Sonny DiChiara.[17] He finished the season having played in 62 games with a .349/.463/.691 slash line with 22 home runs and 72 RBIs.[18] Following the season's end, he was invited and returned to play with USA Baseball.[19] In 2023, Crews batted .426 with 18 homers, 70 RBIs, and 100 runs scored and helped lead LSU to win the 2023 Men's College World Series.
Crews was considered a top prospect for the 2023 Major League Baseball draft. The MLB Pipeline ranking on MLB.com listed Crews as the best draft prospect available and projected him to be selected first overall by the Pittsburgh Pirates.[20] Baseball America, FanSided, and Perfect Game also projected Crews to be selected first overall.[21] [22] [23] FanGraphs ranked him as the third-best prospect in the draft.[24]
Crews was drafted by the Washington Nationals with the 2nd overall selection of the 2023 Major League Baseball draft. On July 21, 2023, Crews signed with the Nationals for a $9 million signing bonus.[25] On August 4, Crews was promoted to the Single–A Fredericksburg Nationals after one game in the Florida Complex League, where he went 3-for-3. On August 20, Crews was promoted to the Double-A Harrisburg Senators after posting a .355/.423/.645 slash line with the FredNats.[26] He finished the year with a combined slash line of .292/.377/.467 with five home runs and 24 RBI across 35 games.[27]
Crews began the 2024 campaign with Harrisburg, hitting .274/.343/.446 with five home runs, 38 RBI, and 15 stolen bases. On June 17, 2024, Crews was promoted to the Triple–A Rochester Red Wings.[28]
In his MLB.com draft profile, Crews has been described as "a plus hitter with plus power" with a "quick right-handed stroke" but was noted to have a tendency to whiff on changeups. The website also described Crews as an "at least average" outfielder with arm strength, an ability to track fly balls, and a potential to play center field at the major league level.[29]
Crews has been described as a five-tool player. Former LSU head coach Paul Mainieri credited Crews with a preparedness for the college level that he compared to that of alumni DJ LeMahieu and Alex Bregman.[30]