The Washington Nationals promoted Dylan Crews to Triple-A.
Washington’s Triple-A affiliate, the Rochester Red Wings, confirmed the move on Tuesday afternoon. He’s not the only star prospect joining their outfield; the Red Wings also activated James Wood from the injured list.
Crews propelled LSU to a 2023 national championship by batting a blistering .426/.567/.713. Later that summer, the Nationals selected him with the No. 2 pick after Tigers teammate Paul Skenes.
Skenes quickly worked his way up to the majors, where he’s registered a 2.29 ERA and 53 strikeouts in seven dominant starts for the Pittsburgh Pirates. Crews, on the other hand, has required a longer assimilation period.
Crews batted a subdued .274/.343/.446 with five home runs in 51 games at Double-A Harrisburg. Yet the 22-year-old has heated up since posting a .664 OPS in a dozen April games.
Crews has since hit .292 with 10 doubles, three triples, three home runs, and 13 stolen bases. He collected eight hits in his last five games before Tuesday’s promotion.
MLB.com ranks Crews as its No. 5 prospect behind Wood, who decimated Triple-A pitching to a .355/.465/.596 slash line before missing nearly four weeks with a hamstring injury. The 6-foot-7 outfielder, whom Washington acquired as part of a package for Juan Soto during the 2022 season, could beat Crews to the majors if he returns strong.
While Crews and Wood could both join the Nationals this season, the retooling team has exceeded expectations by starting 35-36. Even if they’re placeholders in the outfield, Jesse Winker and Jacob Young have helped Washington stay in the heat of a wide-open National League playoff picture.
Related: Video: Dylan Crews Hits His First Home Run Of MLB Spring Training