Despite pedestrian numbers, plenty of encouraging signs from Crews

PLAYER REVIEW: DYLAN CREWS

Age on Opening Day 2025: 23

How acquired: First-round pick, 2023 Draft

MLB service time: 35 days

2024 salary: $740,000

Contract status: Under club control, arbitration-eligible in 2028, free agent in 2031

2024 stats: 31 G, 132 PA, 119 AB, 12 R, 26 H, 5 2B, 1 3B, 3 HR, 8 RBI, 12 SB, 3 CS, 11 BB, 26 SO, .218 AVG, .288 OBP, .353 SLG, .641 OPS, 82 OPS+, 4 DRS, 3 OAA, 0.6 bWAR, 0.5 fWAR

Quotable: “I really don’t view everything as a slump. I look at it as a learning experience. It’s my first time here. I’ve been here a month now. I’m learning. I’m learning, learning, learning. Basically just trying to get as many at-bats as I can here, and then be prepared for next year. I’ve learned a lot since I’ve been here this month, but I’ve never looked at it as a bad thing.” – Dylan Crews

2024 analysis: Given his high profile, all eyes were on Crews from the moment his season began, everyone wondering when the top prospect would make his major league debut. He put up good, but not great, numbers at Double-A Harrisburg (.274/.343/.446 in 51 games), then he put up comparable numbers at Triple-A Rochester (.265/.340/.455 in 49 games). So the Nationals felt no rush to execute the final promotion, holding off until the final week of August to make the call.

Crews’ Aug. 26 debut was as high-profile as they get: The opener of a three-game series against the Yankees, with a big and boisterous crowd on hand. And he rose to the occasion with four hits in the series, including two doubles and his first big league homer. He was, by all accounts, undaunted by the pressure.

He continued the hot streak for another week or so, boasting an .883 OPS through his first 10 games. Then pitchers started to adjust, forcing Crews to hit breaking balls down and away. And they won that battle, holding him to a measly .349 OPS over an 18-game stretch. To his credit, he bounced back with a strong closing weekend against the Phillies, going 6-for-10 with a double, a triple and two walks. And that allowed him to head into the offseason on something of a high note.

2025 outlook: The total numbers from Crews’ first month in the majors weren’t anything to go crazy over, but nobody is the least bit concerned about that right now. As he himself noted, this was an opportunity for him to start to get comfortable in the big leagues, facing big league pitching. And while the results could’ve been better, there was still a lot to like.

Crews’ hard-hit percentage (44.7 percent) was well above league average (36.5 percent). His strikeout rate (19.7 percent) was below league average (22.2 percent), and his walk rate (8.3 percent) was right in line with league average (8.4 percent). For a guy one year out of college, that’s fantastic. He proved he can mash big league fastballs, with a .333 batting average and .697 slugging percentage on four-seamers. And he actually did fine on changeups and splitters (.250 average, .333 slugging percentage).

The primary issue: Breaking balls. Crews was just 4-for-41 against them, with zero extra-base hits and 17 of his 26 strikeouts. A quick glance at his strike zone plot shows exactly where his weakness was: Down, especially down and away. Opponents recognized that, and they took full advantage of it.

So it’s up to Crews to now make the necessary adjustment in his first full big league season. Based on everything we know about both his ability and his drive to succeed, it’s hard to imagine he won’t figure it out. The Nationals will give him every opportunity to thrive, and he’ll enter 2025 as the expected starting right fielder with a spot somewhere near the top of the lineup.

Oh, and by the way: Because he took only 119 at-bats this year, he’ll still qualify as a rookie next season.