Dylan Crews: Learning the gap between College and Major League Baseball is vast

May 21

I’ve seen quite a bit of Dylan Crews the last couple of years. There were many who saw and evaluated him that thought he was very close to the big leagues, straight out College. My experience and skepticism said that it wasn’t likely. The Washington Nationals selected him with the No. 2 overall pick in the 2023 MLB Draft after he dominated college baseball at LSU, hitting .426 with elite on-base skills and legitimate power. At 5’11” and 203 pounds, the 24-year-old right-handed outfielder checked every box of a five-tool prospect: quick bat, disciplined approach, real pop, and enough speed to steal bases. The hype was huge and college credibility justified.

But the jump to the majors is unforgiving. Through limited action heading into 2026, Crews has posted a .211/.282/.352 slash line with 13 home runs, 35 RBI, and 29 stolen bases across 412 career MLB at-bats. In 2025,his first full chance at the big league he appeared in just 85 games after suffering a left oblique strain. He hit .208/.280/.352 with 10 HR and 17 SB, striking out approximately 24% of the time while walking just 7.5%.

Why the Early Struggles?

Major League pitching is simply faster, the breaking balls are sharper, and big leaguers smarter than what most prospects see in college or the minors. Crews has struggled with pitch recognition and timing, especially against elevated fastballs and breaking balls away. The result? Longer swings, weak contact(Barrel%), and too many routine outs.

Key 2025 Stats (322 plate appearances):

Batting average: .208 | On-base: .280 | Slugging: .352 | OPS: .632 (well below league average)
• 10 HR, 20 extra-base hits, 17 SB, 24 walks, 76 strikeouts
• Advanced metrics: wRC+ of 77 – 79, average exit velocity 89.7 mph, HardHit% 38.7%, Barrel% 9.8%

He had some bad luck with a low .246 BABIP, Crews handled sinkers relatively well but was dominated by four-seam fastballs (.162 AVG, 30.9% whiff rate) and breaking balls (high whiff rates on sliders – 40%) curveballs, and sweepers). Chase rates climbed, and his swing got long, producing too many opposite-field fly balls and topped grounders.

Early in 2026, a stint in Triple-A Rochester (41 games) showed encouraging signs. He hit .258/.345/.432 with 5 HR and a .777 OPS. The time down helped him reset his timing and selectivity before his latest recall.

Mechanical Adjustments Crews Must Make

This is the real test. Crews possesses elite bat speed, his max exit velocity sits in the upper percentiles, but his swing got “long” in 2025. A longer path gives big-league pitchers more time to exploit him.

Specific areas to improve:

Timing & swing length: Shorten the path and improve eye level to recognize pitches faster. The goal is simple: “See it, react, hit it” instead of guessing or forcing the action.
• Launch angle & contact quality: Get the ball in the air, generate more line drives and pull-side air contact while cutting down pop-ups and weak grounders. This will unlock his power more consistently.
• Pitch recognition & approach: Reduce chase rates and stay disciplined like he was in college hunt fastballs in the zone first, then expand.
• Rhythm & confidence: The oblique injury threw off his timing. Consistent reps and continued work in the majors
should help him regain his natural flow.

These aren’t minor tweaks, they’re often what separate promising prospects from everyday big-leaguers. Crews has the athleticism and work ethic to pull it off but it’s a work in progress.

Strengths That Still Shine

Raw tools: Plus power, elite bat speed, and above-average speed (20+ steal seasons are realistic).
• Defense: Athletic enough to handle corner outfield or even center field.
• Baserunning: An underrated weapon who steals bags efficiently and creates dynamic value.
• Power potential: When his timing clicks, the barrels and hard contact are still there.

Outlook: Patience Meets Potential

I have concerns about the plate discipline, the ability to cover the Right handed Slider away and whether or not he is going to be able to catch up to the plus or better FB at the top of the strike zone. These are questions that must be answered. He is far closer to a Randal Grichuk comp than a Andrew McCutcheon one. I see the value in the defense, baserunning and power potential, but more so against left-handed pitching.

Keeping in mind his age, Crews still projects as a solid everyday corner outfielder (RF or CF) with 20 homerun , 20 steal upside. If the adjustments stick, he has the ceiling to become an All-Star contributor, an athletic power/speed threat with better contact skills than many similar dynamic outfielders. The floor is likely a 4th outfielder or weak side platoon.

His early struggles are concerning but can be overcome. I will be interested in seeing the adjustments he makes. The tools are loud, the development plan seems sound, and the Nationals have shown patience with mechanical work and AAA resets over the last couple of years. With a little luck on balls in play, and more importantly success you may see a different player this time up, but only time will tell.