Dylan Crews is getting the call-up to the big leagues! After being taken second in the 2023 MLB Draft, the highly coveted outfielder is joining the Washington Nationals after just over a year in the minor leagues. However, he has faced more challenges than expected in the minors. He has learned from these challenges and become a better player. Crews’ path has also shown his adaptability, a trait he will need in MLB. The jump from Triple-A to MLB is bigger than ever for hitters. Guys need to adapt to big-league stuff quickly, and Crews has shown the ability to adjust.
Dylan Crews Earned His Big League Call-Up
Double-A Struggles
When Dylan Crews reached Double-A Harrisburg, he struggled for the first time in his baseball life. In September of 2023 and April of 2024, he had a tough time adapting to Double-A. In his first month in Harrisburg, Crews slumped to a .680 OPS. These struggles continued into 2024, with the highly touted Crews posting a .663 OPS in April. He was also struggling with strikeouts, getting punched out 20 times in his 49 April at-bats.
With Crews’ struggles, paired with the emergence of draftmates Wyatt Langford and Paul Skenes in the big leagues, there was mounting pressure on the young prospect. He picked it up in May, hitting .298 with an .890 OPS. Crews also cut down on the strikeouts. In 84 at-bats in May, he struck out only 17 times, less than he did in April despite more at-bats. After a continued strong performance, he got the promotion to Triple-A Rochester in mid-June.
Triple-A Performance
Similar to his time in Double-A, Crews struggled out of the gates in Triple-A. However, these struggles were due to bad luck rather than bad fundamentals. Crews was running low BABIP numbers, despite good quality of contact. This led to a .233 average and a .735 OPS in July, his first full month in Triple-A. However, he has heated up in August, tapping into his power more. So far in August, Crews has hit .289 with an .869 OPS. He hit four home runs in four games, a side of Crews’ game we had not seen as much in the pros. He consistently hits the ball hard, but has struggled to get it in the air. If he can tap into more power, that will unlock his game.
Dylan Crews (@Nationals) swats his third homer in the past four games!
MLB’s No. 3 prospect raises his Triple-A OPS to .819 in 41 games for the @RocRedWings. pic.twitter.com/oW64JNxBMP
— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) August 14, 2024
What to Expect
Given his initial struggles at each level, it will not be surprising if Dylan Crews starts slowly. However, there is no reason to panic if that happens. He has shown the ability to adjust on the fly to get over his struggles. As this season has gone on, his underlying numbers have gotten better. He is now showing the bat-to-ball ability that was so apparent at LSU and is tapping into his power as well. Crews has a unique combination of ceiling and floor.
He is already an athletic outfielder with good speed and defense, and he can hit the ball very hard. However, he has the potential to grow into his ability even more. He has plus raw power, despite an average frame, but he does not always tap into it. If he eventually gets 30-homer power, he will be a star, and even if he doesn’t, he will be a great player for years to come. It will be exciting to see him suit up on Monday.
Photo Credit: © Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports
