Nationals select LSU star Dylan Crews 2nd overall
With the second pick in the 2023 MLB Draft, the Washington Nationals selected Dylan Crews, an outfielder out of Louisiana State University.
The star prospect is coming off a very decorated couple of weeks, winning the 2023 Golden Spikes Award as the top amateur player in the country and helping lead the Tigers to a national championship. He's the fourth player to win both the award and the College World Series and the first since Mark Kotsay in 1995.
Crews, 21, was seen as a potential first-round talent coming out of high school. However, early-season struggles followed by the pandemic forced him to withdraw from the draft entirely and commit to LSU, where he immediately shot to stardom by setting a freshman record with 18 homers.
He didn't slow down as the years went on, clubbing 22 more homers as a sophomore and leading the SEC in batting average and on-base percentage through his final regular season as a junior while playing center field.
Widely considered the top hitter in the class, Crews is extremely polished and could progress quickly through the minors, perhaps even challenging for a major-league role before the 2024 campaign is through.
Bio
Age: 21
Position: OF
Height/Weight: 6-0, 205 lbs
Bats/Throws: R/R
School: LSU
Pick value (#2): $8,998,500
Tools
- Sensational bat-to-ball skills
- Above-average power and speed
- Already good enough defensively to stick in center field
Why fans will love this player
- 2023 Golden Spikes winner
- Worked on plate discipline issues from high school and now possesses elite eye
- Two-time SEC Player of the Year (2022-23)
- National Freshman of the Year in 2021
- Considered the best college outfield prospect since Dustin Ackley
Things he'll need to overcome
- Already overcame swing-and-miss issues from high school
- Might need some work to stick in center but can also play above-average right field
- Can struggle at times with offspeed pitches
Take a look ...
(Video source: MLB Pipeline)