Image via Joe Territo
Last week on Bill’s Watch List, I highlighted Dylan Crews as a key prospect to watch during Rochester’s six-game series against the Syracuse Mets. Just two weeks earlier, Crews endured a tough stretch against the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders, going 1-for-23 (.043) without an extra-base hit. He quickly flipped the script in a home series against Worcester, hitting 9-for-22 (.409) with five extra-base hits. That raised the big question heading into Syracuse: which version of Dylan Crews would show up?
Rochester Red Wings manager Matt LeCroy continues to do an excellent job developing a crowded, high-upside Nationals outfield group. Dylan Crews (36 games), Christian Franklin (35), Andrew Pinckney (32), and Robert Hassell III (29) are all seeing consistent action. Hassell’s lower total is due to missing the Worcester series with illness. LeCroy has effectively rotated all four prospects across all three outfield spots and designated hitter, maximizing both playing time and defensive versatility—key for long-term MLB development.
In the Syracuse series, Crews went 5-for-24 (.208) with a .269 on-base percentage and two extra-base hits. On paper, the numbers suggest a modest week. But the underlying performance tells a more encouraging story. In the rain-shortened opener—the only game in which Crews did not record a hit—he still made loud contact in all three at-bats, each with exit velocities over 100 mph. That’s a strong indicator of improved barrel control and quality of contact.
One of those outs was driven to the base of the right-center field wall, just missing extra bases. Another was a sharply hit low line drive that Syracuse left fielder AJ Ewing turned into a highlight-reel diving catch. These are the types of outs that reflect progress, even if they don’t show up in the box score.
Crews did strike out seven times over six games, which remains an area for improvement. However, he continues to lead Rochester in multi-hit games and has consistently used his speed and hustle to beat out infield ground balls—another positive trend in his overall offensive profile.
For the season at Triple-A Rochester, Crews is slashing .250/.340/.744. He ranks fourth on the team in home runs (4), fourth in RBIs, fifth in OPS, fifth in batting average, and second in runs scored. Watching him daily, you see a player committed to development making adjustments, refining his approach, and working to build consistency at the plate.
When Crews was assigned to Rochester to begin the season, Nationals leadership made their intentions clear. Blake Butera emphasized, “We absolutely believe in Dylan and still view him as a huge part of the Nationals’ future, while believing Triple-A is the best place for him to work on his adjustments.” Paul Toboni reinforced that message, noting Crews is using this opportunity to “regain consistency and continue refining his game.”
That word consistency stands out. It suggests the Nationals are focused less on short-term results and more on sustained performance before considering a return to Washington. It also raises the possibility that Crews’ initial MLB stint came slightly ahead of schedule, and the organization now wants to ensure he’s fully ready for long-term success.
LeCroy summed it up best on Media Day: “Dylan Crews is a premier talent, and when everything clicks, he will stay in the major leagues for good.”
Crews himself remains focused on the process, saying, “It’s all part of my journey. I’m going to attack every day, and I know I’ll be back in D.C.”
While the batting average from this past week may not stand out, the advanced metrics particularly exit velocity and hard contact—are trending in the right direction. That’s often the clearest signal of an impending breakout.
With Lehigh Valley coming to Rochester this week, all eyes remain on Dylan Crews as he continues his push back toward the Nationals’ roster.