Dylan Crews DVOA, Advanced Stats, & Fantasy Rankings

Washington Nationals outfielder Dylan Crews will head to the bench for Tuesday's contest against the Toronto Blue Jays at Rogers Centre. Alex Call is starting in right field in his place and will hit eighth against Blue Jays right-hander Jose Berrios. The Nationals are giving Crews an early mental break after the former second overall pick in 2023 out of LSU has started his first full year in the big leagues by going 0-for-15 at the plate with a steal, run scored, one walk and 10 strikeouts in his first four games. While it's still early, fantasy managers hoping Crews would contribute nicely across most categories this year have to be at least a little bit concerned. Call will be making his season debut on Tuesday after hitting .343 (34-for-99) with three homers, 14 RBI and five steals in just 30 games for Washington a season ago. Call has never faced Berrios in his career.

Washington Nationals outfielder Dylan Crews is starting in right field and batting eighth in the lineup on Opening Day on Thursday at Nationals Park against the division-rival Philadelphia Phillies and right-hander Zack Wheeler. This isn't exactly what Crew's fantasy managers wanted to see on Day 1 of the regular season, especially considering the 23-year-old spent most of his time serving as the team's leadoff hitter during his MLB debut in 2024. For now, shortstop CJ Abrams will open up as the club's leadoff man against a right-handed pitcher, but we should expect to see Crews at the top of the order against lefties at least. Crews, the second overall pick last year out of LSU, hit just .218 (26-for-119) with three homers, eight RBI and 12 stolen bases in his first 31 MLB games in 2024. Heading into his first full season, Crews should primarily be a speed asset in fantasy while contributing steadily everywhere else as an everyday player.

Washington Nationals outfield prospect Dylan Crews has showcased his elite skill set early in spring training. Across his first two games, the LSU product has gone 2-for-4 with a triple, an RBI, and a stolen base. The former second overall pick in the 2023 MLB Draft made his MLB debut last season. Across his first 31 MLB games, Crews held a .218/.288/.353 line with five doubles, three home runs, and 12 stolen bases, He showed a strong eye at the plate with a 19.7 percent strikeout rate, which placed him in the 93rd percentile in sprint speed. Through 49 games with Triple-A Rochester, the 22-year-old posted a .265/.340/.455 slash line with 10 doubles, eight home runs, and 10 stolen bases. Crews is projected to be Washington's everyday right fielder and potentially bat in the top half of the lineup. If he continues to show five-category upside during camp, he could be an intriguing breakout pick in drafts.