The Washington Nationals fell in extra innings to the New York Mets on Monday evening, but perhaps the big takeaway from the game was a nugget that dropped during the game iteself. With the Nationals floating around .500 still, the team is shaking things up with some of their players.
Most intriguingly, the Nationals are set to recall Dylan Crews to the majors following a recent tear and a shocking spring training demotion, and there is a lot of optimism that this time it is permanently. The new front office under Paul Toboni has been unafraid to make bold moves, and Crews not making the Opening Day roster was one of the most indicative signs of that belief system.
For a guy who had Crews' pedigree coming out of college, there is a very real argument that his development was stunted by the previous regime. He was rushed to the big leagues after not really dominating any level in the minors, and he ended up paying the price after he got to the show. Just like Seaver King, who got promoted to AAA yesterday, perhaps Dylan Crews can be the next former Nationals' 1st-rounder to repair his stock.
The Nationals are expected to recall Dylan Crews from Triple-A Rochester on Tuesday, according to a source familiar with the decision.https://t.co/Cs3uNcFsCp
— Mark Zuckerman (@MarkZuckerman) May 18, 2026
The flashes were there, as Crews had moments of brilliance either at the plate, in the field, or on the bases, showcasing the 5-tool star potential many saw in him at LSU, but unfortunately the flashes were few and far between. In 116 career games in the majors, Crews has slashed .211/.282/.352, good for a .634 OPS to go along with 13 homers, 35 RBIs, and 29 stolen bases.
Those numbers aren't terrible, but for a #2 pick and a guy who was viewed as "can't miss" out of college, he has underwhelmed. Taking a look at his numbers so far with AAA Rochester, and you might think it is more of the same with him not exactly dominating the lower level.
In 41 games with the Red Wings, Crews has slashed .258/.345/.432 with a .777 OPS to go along with 5 homers, 20 RBIs, and 7 stolen bases. However, since May has come around, he has been hitting the cover off the ball, which might be a big part of the reason why the Nationals chose now to bring him back up. Additionally, it doesn't hurt to have some added outfield depth after Jacob Young and Joey Wiemer were both hit by pitches on Monday and were hurt, although both should avoid the IL.
The other interesting wrinkle is that Crews will not amass another year of service time this season, as he would fall under the 137 day threshold needed to accrue another season, and there are now only 132 days remaining in the regular season, according to MLBTradeRumors. I'm sure this was not really part of the thinking, but it certainly doesn't hurt the Nationals to get that extra year, especially if he pans out.
What do you think are realistic expectations now that Dylan Crews is headed back to the big leagues? As always, please let me know on X, @DCBerk.
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