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Dylan Crews of Nationals Predicted as Runaway Winner For Rookie of the Year, Among Executives

Crews, the former No. 2 overall pick in the MLB Draft, made his debut late in 2024.

Brady Farkas

Washington Nationals outfielder Dylan Crews (3) pictured during the third inning against the Miami Marlins, at Nationals Park in 2024.e Miami Marlins, at Nationals Park in 2024.
Washington Nationals outfielder Dylan Crews (3) pictured during the third inning against the Miami Marlins, at Nationals Park in 2024.e Miami Marlins, at Nationals Park in 2024. / Daniel Kucin Jr.-Imagn Images
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According to major league executives, Washington Nationals outfield prospect Dylan Crews is the odds-on favorite for the National League Rookie of the Year Award.

MLB.com's Jonathan Mayo polled people around the league and these were the the results:

Dylan Crews, OF, Nationals, 50 pct

Matt Shaw, 3B, Cubs, 18.8 pct

Bubba Chandler, RHP, Pirates, 10.4 pct

Jordan Lawlar, SS, D-backs, 6.3 pct

Crews is the No. 1 overall prospect in baseball entering the season, according to MLB.com. The No. 2 pick in the draft (2023) out of LSU, Crews made a cameo at the big-league level in 2024. He hit .218 in 31 games with three homers, eight RBI and 12 stolen bases.

He was a .270 hitter at the minor league-levels in 2024, hitting 13 homers and bashing 21 doubles.

The following comes from a portion of his MLB.com prospect profile:

Crews thrust himself into the conversation as the top talent in the 2023 Draft on the strength of his improved plate discipline in college, rarely going outside the zone while teeing off on the pitches he could drive (particularly fastballs). He struggled a little more with offspeed stuff on the pro side, but his ability to adjust during his time as LSU speaks well to his chances of improvement in his first full season and beyond. Batting from a well-coiled right-handed stance, Crews packs at least plus power in his 6-foot frame. 

The Nationals are coming off a season in which they finished fourth in the National League East. They haven't been to the playoffs since 2019, when they won the only World Series in franchise history.

In addition to Crews, Washington has top prospects all over the field (CJ Abrams, MacKenzie Gore, Keibert Ruiz), so perhaps this is the year they put it all together in a loaded National League East.

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Brady Farkas
BRADY FARKAS

Brady Farkas is a baseball writer for Fastball on Sports Illustrated/FanNation and the host of 'The Payoff Pitch' podcast which can be found on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Videos on baseball also posted to YouTube. Brady has spent nearly a decade in sports talk radio and is a graduate of Oswego State University. You can follow him on Twitter @WDEVRadioBrady. 

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