Is it too early for the Nationals to start worrying about Dylan Crews?

"A 31-game stint in the bigs in 2024 led to him actually worsening at the plate in his first full season in 2025, when he played 85 games. He walked less, struck out more, and decreased every part of his slash line year over year. There were some encouraging signs - his groundball and popup rates dropped, and his pull rate increased, but somehow his pull-air rate declined."

"It's not gotten better. As his counterpart Skenes has gone on to lead the USA to the championship game of the World Baseball Classic, Crews has remained in spring training camp with the Nats. In 11 games, he's slashing .107/.188/.107 for a .295 OPS. He's in the bottom 1% of strikeout rates, the bottom 10% of average exit velocities, and he's yet to pick up an extra-base hit."

"At what point does it stop being too soon to worry? A number of Nationals fans would say that time has passed already. After a 2025 season that was supposed to be the foundation for Crews finally coming into his own in the big leagues, 2026 has begun with Dylan looking about as lost at the plate as ever."

Dylan Crews, selected second overall in the 2023 MLB Draft by the Nationals, has failed to develop as expected compared to his LSU teammate Paul Skenes, who was drafted first and quickly achieved superstardom. Crews played 31 games in 2024 and 85 games in 2025, but his performance deteriorated significantly. His 2025 season showed decreased contact rates, increased strikeouts, and worsened slash line statistics despite some positive indicators like reduced groundball rates. Spring training 2026 has been equally concerning, with Crews posting a .295 OPS across 11 games, ranking in the bottom percentiles for strikeout rates and exit velocities. His struggles have intensified concerns about his future, with potential demotion to Rochester becoming a realistic possibility.

Read at District on Deck