Nationals’ Dylan Crews, MLB’s third-ranked prospect, will make debut Monday, AP source says
The Washington Nationals plan to call up outfielder Dylan Crews, the third-ranked prospect in Major League Baseball, to make his debut Monday night against the New York Yankees, a person familiar with the decision told The Associated Press Friday.
The person spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because the decision had not yet been announced.
Crews, 22, was drafted second overall by Washington last summer — after LSU teammate Paul Skenes was selected first by Pittsburgh — and quickly rose through the minor league ranks.
Crews is hitting .272 with 13 homers and 68 RBIs in 99 games this season for Double-A Harrisburg and Triple-A Rochester.
He will join 21-year-old James Wood in Washington’s young outfield. Wood made his debut July 1 for the rebuilding Nationals, who acquired him in the 2022 trade that sent Juan Soto to San Diego.
Washington won the World Series in 2019 and hasn’t had a winning season since. General manager Mike Rizzo traded away the core of that championship team, trading Trea Turner and Max Scherzer in 2021 and Soto a year later.
The Nationals were 58-70 heading into Friday night’s game in Atlanta. They remained sellers at the trade deadline this season, sending outfielder Lane Thomas and reliever Hunter Harvey to contenders, and are emphasizing the development of young players for the remainder of the year.
Rizzo said before the deadline he was happy with the progress of reconstruction.
Crews could complete an impressive outfield for Washington alongside left fielder Wood and center fielder Jacob Young, an elite defender who has 29 stolen bases this season.
Since Thomas was traded to Cleveland, Alex Call has been the starter in right field for the most part. The 29-year-old has a .347 batting average in 29 games, but Crews has more upside.
Crews, one of the best hitters in Division I when he led LSU to the College World Series title last year with right-handed pitcher Skenes, was honored with the Golden Spikes Award as the nation’s top amateur player. He received a $9 million bonus when he signed with Washington.
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