Dylan Crews drove past the Washington Monument and the memorials on the National Mall on his first day as a major league player. The Washington Nationals hope Crews will become a new highlight in the nation’s capital.
The 22-year-old Crews, ranked as the No. 3 prospect in baseball, was called up by the Nationals on Monday and made his major league debut against the New York Yankees.
“It’s pretty awesome,” Crews said before the game. “This is going to be my job every day. I am going to a major league stadium and this is going to be my job.
It’s kind of hard to wrap your head around. It’s going to be awesome to wake up every day and see all the monuments and the White House. I haven’t been there yet. So hopefully I’ll go there one day. It’s pretty awesome to be here in the nation’s capital.”
Manager Dave Martinez placed Crews in right field and in the second spot in the batting order, between All-Star shortstop CJ Abrams and rookie left fielder James Wood, two players the Nationals hope will be key to their future.
“We are facing a left-handed pitcher,” Martinez said. “It just makes sense to put him between Abrams and Wood. It’s kind of exciting to see those three together.
We have been waiting a little while, but I really believe that this is another piece to the puzzle and to our future. I am excited for the kid and his family. We are all excited here. Nationals fans should be excited.”
In his first at-bat, Crews hit a routine fly ball to Yankees star right fielder Juan Soto, who began his career with Washington and helped the Nationals win the 2019 World Series before being traded. Crews went 0 for 3 with a walk and a strikeout in Washington’s 5-2 loss.
“It was an awesome feeling to go out there for the first time and compete with the guys,” Crews said. “Obviously, we didn’t end up winning today, but tomorrow we’re going to come out swinging.”
The Nationals’ decision to call up Crews was first announced on Friday, creating excitement. After the team officially added him to the roster on Monday morning, they sent out an email to fans about a T-shirt giveaway celebrating his debut.
Crews was the No. 2 pick in last summer’s amateur draft, right after his LSU teammate, right-hander Paul Skenes, who started the NL All-Star Game this year for the Pittsburgh Pirates.
The Nationals hope Crews will be a key part of their rebuild, which began in 2021, less than two years after their World Series win. They expect him to help them compete next season. He joins Wood and speedy center fielder Jacob Young, forming a potentially strong outfield.
In 100 minor league games this season, Crews had a .270 average with 21 doubles, six triples, 13 home runs, 68 RBIs, and 25 stolen bases. He learned about his promotion from Matt Lecroy, the manager at Triple-A Rochester.
“(Lecroy) was talking about pillars, how a pillar supports a house. He asked who he thinks is a pillar of our team. And he said, ‘I think Dylan’s a pillar. He likes to win. He plays hard.
He plays with a little chip on his shoulder.’ And (Lecroy) said, you know, you’re right. That’s why he is going to the big leagues. It was a pretty cool moment,” Crews said.
Crews had been performing well with Rochester since August 3, hitting .309 (21 for 68) and slugging .529 in his last 16 games.
On his way to joining the Nationals, he passed through Williamsport, Pennsylvania, where the Little League team from his hometown of Lake Mary, Florida, won the Little League World Series championship on Sunday.
“That is where it all started right there,” Crews said. “It’s like a little circle coming around. We drove right through Williamsport on our way here. It’s kind of where I started Little League. Lake Mary ended up winning it. It was kind of a cool moment and now we are here obviously. I am very happy that they won it and congratulations to them.”
