Nationals select Dylan Crews second overall in MLB Draft

In the end, the Washington Nationals didn’t have to choose. 

The Nationals drafted LSU outfielder Dylan Crews with the second overall pick in Sunday’s MLB draft, selecting the nation’s top college hitter who hit .426 this past season. The 21-year-old was the obvious choice for the Nationals after the Pittsburgh Pirates selected LSU pitcher Paul Skenes ahead of Washington. 

For months, the Nationals were poised to land either Crews or Skenes — regarded as the two best players in this year’s class  — as they would benefit from whoever Pittsburgh passed on. But late in the process, the Pirates were rumored that they could perhaps bypass both prospects in order to save money. That, however, didn’t happen: The Pirates picked Skenes, leading Crews to Washington.

“We’re tickled pink to have Dylan Crews as a National,” Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo said. “He’s going to be one of the guys that are going to be front and center in the next wave of championship-caliber players here.”

Crews now joins a Nationals farm system that’s stacked with high-end outfield prospects. Last year, Washington acquired James Wood (ranked as MLB’s fifth-best prospect) and Robert Hassell III (No. 95) from the San Diego Padres for Juan Soto. And Washington also has Elijah Green, the fifth overall pick in last year’s draft. 

But Crews might be the most talented of them all. Rizzo said the 21-year-old has a “bag full of tools” — from his “terrific” baseball IQ to his prosperity for hitting the ball and getting on base. “He’s an on-base machine,” Rizzo said.  The 6-foot, 215-pound prospect has a fast, explosive swing, while also the vision for not chasing pitches outside the zone. 

At LSU, Crews finished with a .567 on-base percentage and .713 slugging percentage with 18 home runs. Those excellent numbers helped the Tigers not only win a national championship, but also earned Crews the Golden Spikes award — the same honor, which recognizes college baseball’s top player, given to Bryce Harper and Stephen Strasburg in 2009 and 2010.

Crews, coincidentally, is Washington’s highest selection in the draft since Harper went first overall more than a decade ago.  

Speaking to reporters, Crews said he idolized Harper growing up. He added he loved the way Harper was able to “hit homers left and right,” while also making an impact in the outfield. And though they’ve never met, they also share a connection in that they’re represented by agent Scott Boras. 

Now, if the Nationals have their way, Crews will guide Washington into its next generation of success in the same vein that Harper did for Washington. Rizzo declined to put a timeline on when Crews might be ready for the major leagues, adding they’ll slow-play the outfielder’s initial workload in the minors because Crews is coming off a long college season. 

But becoming the face of the Nationals is something that Crews didn’t shy away from. He said he wants to continue to develop as a leader — he said he became more outspoken this past season with the Tigers — and is comfortable being in the spotlight. 

Three years ago, Crews was considered to be one of the top high school players in the 2020 MLB Draft. But he pulled out of the pool a week prior to the event, instead opting to hold his commitment to LSU. On Sunday, Crews acknowledged the decision was a “gamble,” but said he never regretted it. He called it the “best decision” he ever made, one that further accelerated his development — even with the spotlight on him from the start. 

“I like to say pressure is a privilege,” Crews said. “It’s how you take it.”