Top Prospect for Washington Nationals Predicted To Win Rookie of the Year
Even though spring training might not count for much, the young core of the Washington Nationals is hungry to show off their offseason improvements.
With the start of the season right around the corner, the Nationals are getting excited about what might finally be a year in which they can compete a bit. Since winning the World Series in 2019, there have been a lot of losses for Washington.
Now, with the young core that they have been developing and drafting starting to make their way to the Majors and performing well, 2025 feels like the start of the franchise turning around.
Arguably the biggest bright spot for the Nationals is their batting order. This winter, they added a couple of solid veterans into the mix, like Nathaniel Lowe, Josh Bell, Amed Rosario, and Paul DeJong.
Mixing these talented veterans in with the young talent that is emerging could be a recipe for success. If the young core continues to improve like they are expected to, this could end up being one of the best batting orders in the National League.
While there is a lot of young talent on the team, one player in particular has drawn a lot of attention.
Will Leitch of MLB.com recently predicted that Dylan Crews would win the National League Rookie of the Year award.
The former second overall pick in the 2023 MLB draft is one of the best prospects in baseball and his ceiling is through the roof.
In the minors last year, Crews slashed 270/.342/.451 with 13 home runs, 68 RBI, and 25 stolen bases.
The 23-year-old has the potential to be a 20/20 player this coming year, which would put him right in the mix to be the best rookie in the league.
Even though in his 31 games at the Major League level last year, he didn’t perform all that well, Crews gained some valuable experience for this coming year. Crews slashed .219/.288/.353 with three home runs and 12 stolen bases during that span.
The speedy outfielder really seems to run the bases well, which will only further enhance one of the best teams in the league at stealing bases.
While Crews might not have a 40-home-run upside, he is projected to be a solid all-around hitter that can steal 30 bases in a season.
If the slugger can have a 20/20 year, he will be the first rookie in franchise history to get to that mark.
Overall, Crews is certainly going to be in the mix for the Rookie of the Year award. Even though his time in 2024 wasn’t great in the Majors, he should be able to build on that throughout a full campaign.
