It was a shock when Dylan Crews was demoted at the end of Spring Training, but we knew he would be back. Just over a month and a half into the season, Dylan Crews is back and has a huge opportunity to prove himself. Crews got off to a shaky start in AAA but has been rounding into form lately.
This is obviously a big moment in Crews’ career. The former second overall pick’s career has not gone according to plan so far. He has a .634 career OPS in 412 MLB at bats. When Crews was at LSU, he was seen as one of the safest draft prospects in some time. His combination of athleticism, hitting ability and power was rare.
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However, that hit tool has not translated as expected. He still has fantastic tools elsewhere though. Even last season we saw some of Crews’ power and athleticism. He is a good fielder and a great base runner. The bat has lagged behind so far though.
In AAA, Crews has done what he did in previous spots at that level. He has put up good, but not great numbers. Crews has a .258 average and .777 OPS in the minors this season. However, he has really been punishing baseballs in May. His exit velocities are sky high and his strikeout rate has been going down.
I am not sure if this will actually be Dylan Crews’ last chance, but it is certainly one of his last shots to prove himself in DC. If he is going to be anything close to the player that was expected, he is going to have to start performing now. There are flashes of that outstanding talent, but it has not been consistent enough.
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Crews’ pro career really has been an enigma. When you watch him play, he looks the part and exudes confidence. His energy and passion for the game can also be contagious at times. None of that matters much when you cannot hit though.
That is going to be the big question with Crews. Can he hit enough to make it work? He hits the ball as hard as anyone, but that has not translated into success yet. Crews has whiffed too much and hit too many ground balls.
Improving those two things have been key points of emphasis for him in Rochester. It is not perfect yet, but we are seeing signs of promise. During Spring Training, Crews looked completely broken and the Nats have been trying to rebuild his swing.
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We have seen some real strides from him this month. In May, he is hitting .291 with an .866 OPS. However, tomorrow is when the real challenge begins for Dylan Crews. He will be back in the majors and facing Mets ace Nolan McLean assuming he is in the lineup. It is time to see what Dylan Crews has got and if he is still a part of the Nats plans going forward.
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