Watch Washington Nationals Top Prospect Slam First Career MLB Home Run
Monday proved to be a slow start for Washington Nationals rookie Dylan Crews in his first career game on Monday.
Two days later, he’s picked up steam.
One day after he managed several career firsts, he pulled off the biggest one of his young career on Wednesday against the New York Yankees — he hit his first Major League home run.
Crews batted in a different place in the order for the third straight game, as he was slotted into the leadoff spot by manager Dave Martinez. He got right to work.
Facing Yankees starter Carlos Rodón, Crews was up 1-0 when he connected on a 93-mph fastball on the inside corner and pulled it into the left-center field seats for a 399-foot shot that put the Nationals on the board, 1-0.
See. You. Later!
— MLB (@MLB) August 28, 2024
Dylan Crews hits his first career MLB home run! pic.twitter.com/III4McuHau
He wasn’t done. In the fourth inning he faced Rodón again and he drove a double to left field, which brought home Jacob Young. It could have been a two RBI hit but Nasim Nuñez was thrown out at home. But the double put Washington up, 5-1.
It’s just the latest set of first for Crews, who had a great game on Tuesday, one game after he went 0-for-3 with a walk in his debut.
On Tuesday he hit his first extra-base hit, a double, making him the third player in Nationals history (since 2005) to get his first MLB hit off a Cy Young winner, per the Elias Sports Bureau.
Later in the game he managed another hit, a soft grounder and allowed him to move to second after an error. That led to his first career stolen base and, later, his first career run, as he scored on a Joey Gallo grounder that turned into an error.
He is just the latest young player the Nationals have called up this season. He’s 13 months removed from being the No. 2 overall pick in last year’s draft, as the Nationals selected him out of LSU after a standout career.
That career led Washington sign him to a $9 million bonus after Crews took LSU to a national title last season as he was selected an all-American and the winner of the Golden Spikes Award as college baseball’s best player.
He started this season at Double-A Harrisburg and was eventually promoted to Rochester. In 100 games he slashed .270/.342/.451/.793 with 13 home runs and 68 RBI. Along the way, MLB Pipeline ranked him as baseball’s No. 3 prospect. He was also selected to play in the MLB Futures Game in July during All-Star Game weekend.
