Dylan Crews is one step closer to the Major Leagues

Per reports, the Washington Nationals' second-ranked prospect has been promoted to AAA Rochester. The 22-year-old is in his first full professional season in the minor leagues and was hitting .274 through 51 games at AA Harrisburg.

The promotion of Crews is exciting for Nationals fans in many ways. The outfielder is paired up with fellow outfield prospect James Wood, who will return from injury in a few days. The pairing of Crews and Wood is a glimpse into the future of baseball in Washington D.C. Reason two is that the timeline of when we can expect Crews in the big leagues is all but confirmed, his debut should occur this season.

The outfielder posted a stat line of .274/.343/.446(.789 OPS) with five home runs and 38 RBI in 51 games at AA Harrisburg. Crews also stole 15 bases and hit three triples. He's a complete player in center field who can provide everything a manager needs. In 86 total minor league games, Crews has hit .282 with 10 home runs, 67 RBI, and a .813 OPS.

Crews made his AAA debut last night, going 0 for 5 but managing to put the ball in play all five times. While not the exact debut Crews had hoped for, it is still incredibly exciting to see Crews one step closer to the Major Leagues. Not only that, but Crews is once again sharing an outfield with James Wood, who returned from his hamstring injury yesterday and played five innings. The Nationals will undoubtedbly be cautious with Wood, but he seems primed to make his Major League debut sooner rather than later.

The timeframe for both Crews and Wood to get the call to the Majors is a bit murky, as the Nationals find themselves in contention for a Wild Card spot but also five games below .500. They undoubtedly want to get more clarity on their situation before they make any major roster decisions but if Crews hits the ground running and Wood performs like he was prior to his injury, they could easily force the Nationals' hand, especially considering the offensive struggles at the Major League level for the Nats.

Expect Crews to make his Major League debut in the 2024 season. The Nats' outfield is a bit crowded, so a debut post-trade deadline seems realistic for Crews. Lane Thomas has reportedly had trade interest from other teams in the Majors. GM Mike Rizzo is known for being active around the trade deadline and could create a slot for Crews in the Nats' lineup.