Washington Nationals Top Prospect Making an Impact Already

Even though it has been a small sample size, one of the Washington Nationals top prospects is making a positive impact early on.

Aug 28, 2024; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Washington Nationals center fielder Dylan Crews (3) gestures to the crowd hitting after first career home run against the New York Yankees during the first inning at Nationals Park. / Rafael Suanes-USA TODAY Sports

The Washington Nationals were able to pick up a great series win against the New York Yankees recently, as their youth movement continues to grow with some of their top prospects making an impact. 

Unfortunately for the Nationals, they were unable to keep the momentum going, as they lost to the Chicago Cubs by a score of 7-6 on Friday night. Washington was down early, as they were trailing 7-2 after just two innings. 

Starting pitcher Jake Irvin got roughed up by the Cubs, as he allowed seven runs in his 11th loss of the season. However, despite the struggles, he did find a way to make it through 4.2 innings and save the bullpen for the Nationals to a degree. 

What was encouraging to see for the Nationals was that they didn’t give up in the game. Despite being down early, Washington came storming back with a great ninth inning to put a lot of pressure on the Cubs. However, the comeback fell just short, as they lost by one run. 

These types of performances are what the Nationals will want to see out of their young team, as it shows heart and player development. While Washington isn’t going to have a winning season this year, they are trying to build the culture for what they want next year and in years to come. 

In the loss, one of the top prospects for the Nationals, Dylan Crews, continued to make an impact. For the second straight game, Crews was able to hit a homerun, as he took the very talented Shota Imanaga deep in the third inning. 

While the sample size is small, Crews has been playing very well since being called up earlier in the week. In four games, Crews has totaled a .313 batting average, two home runs, two doubles, three RBIs, and one stolen base. 

Crews has taken over the responsibility of leading off for the Nationals already, as the organization clearly has a lot of faith in him. 

Since Crews and James Wood have been called up, the depth of the lineup has really been on display for Washington. Seeing players like C.J. Abrams and Jacob Young batting eighth and ninth in the lineup is a great indication that this could become one of the best lineups top to bottom in baseball within a few years. 

Even though it has only been a few games, Crews looks like he belongs on the Nationals and has been making a positive impact early on.