Let's Geaux: Dylan Crews

[Natsinpwc]

The Post article pointed out each of his 3 balls in play Wednesday had an expected average over .300. The first liner to SS had an xBA over .700

Yea he looked better.  Let’s see how he does on the homestand. 

[imref]

Yea he looked better.  Let’s see how he does on the homestand. 

breakout - 9-11, 3HR, 4SBs.

[Ali the Baseball Cat]

He did hit a lot better at home last year (aside from a small outlier at PNC)

[JCA-CrystalCity]

The Post article pointed out each of his 3 balls in play Wednesday had an expected average over .300. The first liner to SS had an xBA over .700

https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2025/04/03/nationals-dylan-crews-hitless-streak/

actually, .400+ on all three balls in play.

“I’d be not telling the truth wholeheartedly if I didn’t think he was pressing some,” Coles said. “But I think he understands how this game works. It changes like that. You’re only one swing away from figuring it out.”

Coles said pitchers are throwing Crews a lot of fastballs inside on his hands. Once they get his eyes looking inside, they’re throwing breaking balls away, and Crews is biting. Crews has also seen a lot of pitches on the edge of the zone — 49.3 percent of his pitches, according to Baseball Savant. The major league average is 42.6. And just 3 percent of his pitches have been “meatballs” or pitches over the heart of the plate. The MLB average is 7.3.

So Crews has been patient early in counts but is still getting behind. As a result, he’s expanding the zone later in at-bats — his chase rate is 36.4 percent through five games.

[IanRubbish]

If that one fly ball in Toronto had gone 10-20 feet further there'd be a lot less angst about this.

Larger issue is if and when he turns into an elite hitter, not an everyday low 7's OPS outfielder.  Way too early to say.   However, don't think Boras is just going to let a number 2 pick's career be determined by this org's mediocre coaching.  Crews will be at Boras' Florida or California training institute this offseason if things go awry.

[varoadking]

1-22...10K's...

[JCA-CrystalCity]

1-22...10K's...

1 for  7 with 0 Ks since he sat for a game.

[varoadking]

1 for  7 with 0 Ks since he sat for a game.

Maybe he should sit more often...

[Count Walewski]

Typically in a situation like this (struggling elite prospect on a rebuilding team) I'm a fan of playing the kid as much as possible. Usually they dominated the minors and it's not like they are putting a playoff spot at risk or blocking an All-Star player: so they have nothing left to learn in the minors or on the bench and the opportunity cost of letting them figure it out against MLB pitching is low.

But I just looked up Crews's stats in the minors. He didn't dominate. Maybe he DOES have something left to learn down there.

[Natsinpwc]

I would give him all of April at least.  Mike Schmidt hit .196 his rookie year.  Of course he had a .324 OBP which no one paid attention to back then.  But give Dylan a few more weeks. 

[Slateman]

I would give him all of April at least.  Mike Schmidt hit .196 his rookie year.  Of course he had a .324 OBP which no one paid attention to back then.  But give Dylan a few more weeks. 

Oh no doubt, you can give him all the time you want. There's nothing in Triple A that will prepare him for the velo and spin he is seeing now. Just let it ride.

[Natsinpwc]

He should be able to get a few hits today against Burnes!!

[aspenbubba]

We don’t have to look very far up the BW Parkway to see a highly touted draftee who did extremely well in the minors get sent down as he struggled in his MLB debut. I believe Crews put extraordinary expectations on himself to improve his numbers from his abbreviated call up last season. I’m not saying his will be a success as a Nat but I have no issue sending him down to show that he belongs as a full time player.

[varoadking]

2-27 12K's

[JCA-CrystalCity]

I'll curse him, but the Ks pretty much stopped after his day off Tuesday.

[imref]

someone is starting to heat up......

[varoadking]

3 for 29 13K's...

.103/.133/.103/.236

En fuego!

[JCA-CrystalCity]

3 for his 11 this series.

[Natsinpwc]

I’ve looked at it a couple times.  The play under Betts glove should have been a hit.  98 EV and a top defensive SS.  Was not a routine play. 

[IanRubbish]

I’ve looked at it a couple times.  The play under Betts glove should have been a hit.  98 EV and a top defensive SS.  Was not a routine play.

It was a bad call, but the more important thing is he's not playing himself into AAA.  He'll come around as the season goes on, but I continue to be concerned that he'll never be an .800 OPS hitter, or when he does get to that point, he'll have just a couple seasons left here.

[imref]

4 for his last 11, even with getting robbed on the hit that was scored as an error.

[JCA-CrystalCity]

4 for his last 11, even with getting robbed on the hit that was scored as an error.

really he's been hitting better since last Wednesday, the game after his day off. I can't pull the xBA and xSLG on that set from FG, but if someone knows a site to do it, I'd be really curious. Just 3 Ks in 21 PAs with no BBs. Pretty low max velo - just one contact over 102 mph. Yesterday was his best average velo (97.4 mph). I only remember about 1 smash deep. Seems he hasn't elevated much over that stretch. just 1 barrel over 18 contact events with an average launch angle of 3.3 degrees.

[NatsLSU]

He did the same at LSU. Would go through a slump, fix it and then take off. He works too hard and is too talented to be a bust. He will be a mainstay for us. Doesn’t have the superstar potential of Wood but multiple all-stars for this guy. He will be fine. And he’s clutch too. Once we start playing some meaningful games you’ll see that no moment is too big for him.

[OfftheBat]

I’ve looked at it a couple times.  The play under Betts glove should have been a hit.  98 EV and a top defensive SS.  Was not a routine play.

Was the official scorer responsible for this call on location in Nats Park when this play happened?  Or is it another guy with a remote job in NYC. I keep forgetting.

[varoadking]

Doesn’t have the superstar potential...

I'm pretty sure "Superstar" is what this fanbase expected when he was selected at #2 overall...especially when he was supposed to represent "The Dawn of a New Era"...

My critiques are dismissed as "Old man yelling at clouds"...but coming from someone like you who followed/follows him closely, this is a bit of a revelation/disappointment...