We’ve seen a number of promising prospects cement their place in the big leagues this season, while also playing fantastic roles for the managers who drafted them this spring or signed them off the waiver wire at some point in the 2024 campaign.

When it comes to the Washington Nationals, we’ve already seen them promote their top prospect and the second-best prospect in all of baseball — according to MLB Pipeline, in outfielder James Wood. However, the Nats also have another top-five prospect waiting in the wings in the form of fifth-best Dylan Crews, another young outfielder.

After starting the season at Double-A Harrisburg, Crews is currently at the Triple-A level with the Rochester Red Wings. Let’s take a look at if and when Crews should get the call-up to the big club, and what his potential fantasy impact could be heading into the 2024 season.

Dylan Crews Prospect Update for Fantasy Baseball

After struggling at Double-A to close out his 2023 campaign, Crews slashed .274/.343/.446 with five homers, 15 stolen bases and a .356 wOBA in 51 games with Harrisburg this season for a 124 wRC+ that marks production that’s 24% above the Double-A average. That impressive work earned him a call-up to Rochester, where he’s taken a step back at the plate, slashing .246/.326/.421 with four homers, five steals and a .334 wOBA for a 92 wRC+ in 29 games.

While his production at the top level of the minors hasn’t set the world on fire yet, we should see Crews in the big leagues by 2024. That idea got a lot of traction Monday night when the Nationals traded outfielder Lane Thomas to the Cleveland Guardians ahead of the July 30 trade deadline. A thin outfield in D.C. just got thinner, likely giving Crews a chance to get his call-up to The Show.

According to multiple reports, including https://t.co/Z3s2EpgF39’s, the Guardians are reportedly set to acquire OF Lane Thomas from the Nationals for 3 prospects. @Feinsand. photo.twitter.com/KposYduah7

—MLB (@MLB) July 29, 2024

Nationals fans were excited to see Crews and Wood (briefly) play in the same outfield in Rochester, but they should get the chance to see both of these top talents together in the Nationals outfield soon.

Dylan Crews Fantasy Baseball Prospects

Crews is just 22 years old and hasn’t shown light-tower power in his young professional career thus far. He’s hit just one home run in his last 13 games at Triple-A, though he does have eight doubles and a triple to go along with his four round-trippers at Rochester. His .175 isolated power at Triple-A is solid, but unspectacular.

If Crews does make it to the big leagues this season, his value will likely hinge on his speed. He has stolen 20 bases in 80 minor-league games this season while being caught four times, good for a quality success rate of 83.3%.

Nationals perspective and @LSUbaseball product Dylan Crews gets hit by a pitch on the elbow guard. Then steals a base. #FutureGame photo.twitter.com/26k6BkW8Ld

— TheNatsReport ⚾ 🇺🇸 (@TheNatsReport) July 13, 2024

His value in the Dynasty League speaks for itself, but barring a surprise homer, Crews’ value to fantasy managers in 2024 will largely come down to his legs and what he can do on the bases with his blazing speed.

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