Should Dylan Crews Start in Triple-A? What’s Going On With the Nationals’ Former No. 2 Pick

(West Palm Beach, FL) - Spring training isn’t supposed to be about results. It’s about timing, feel, and seeing pitches. Every March, players who dominate exhibition games fade once the season starts, while others who look completely overmatched rebound when the games count. That context matters especially when evaluating young hitters.

But spring training numbers don’t exist in a vacuum. And for Dylan Crews, this spring has felt less like a tune-up and more like a continuation of a troubling pattern. As Opening Day approaches and roster decisions loom, the Washington Nationals are running out of time to answer an uncomfortable question: would starting their former No. 2 overall pick in Triple-A actually be the best move for his development?

This isn’t about panic. It isn’t about giving up on a player with immense talent. It’s about whether continuing to let Crews search for answers on the biggest stage is helping him or whether a reset away from the spotlight might finally allow things to click.

That’s why this spring mattered more for Crews than it might for most players. The expectation wasn’t dominance or eye-catching stat lines. It was about process better at-bats, improved pitch recognition, and signs that adjustments were taking hold.

Instead, the early returns have reinforced existing concerns. Through 10 spring training games, Crews is just 3-for-24, batting .125 with three walks against nine strikeouts. He hasn’t recorded an extra-base hit and has driven in only two runs. On their own, those numbers wouldn’t mean much. But paired with his recent major league track record, they’re harder to ignore.

For a 24-year-old still trying to establish himself, every unproductive at-bat adds pressure. Right now, that pressure feels visible.

Crews isn’t the only young outfielder struggling this spring. James Wood has also had a difficult showing, and statistically, James Wood’s spring numbers have actually been worse. The difference lies in context.

Wood enters the season with a measure of trust after hitting above .250 in the majors last year. Crews does not. After hitting .208 last season, he’s followed it up with another rough spring, leaving him without much recent evidence to support the idea that he’s ready to turn the corner at the major league level.

The Nationals are a young, rebuilding team, and it’s fair to argue that Crews wouldn’t make the roster worse simply by being there. But development isn’t about filling lineup spots—it’s about putting players in positions to succeed.

As always, spring training should be taken with a grain of salt. Players who look unstoppable in March can struggle once the games count, and those who appear lost can rebound quickly.

The issue with Crews is that this isn’t new.

Across 116 career MLB games, the 24-year-old owns a .211/.282/.352 slash line with 13 home runs, 29 extra-base hits, 35 RBIs, and 102 strikeouts compared to just 32 walks. His wRC+ sits 22 points below league average, while his OPS+ is 21 points below average.

Crews’ brief “cup of coffee” in 2024 was underwhelming. Last season, instead of taking a step forward, he appeared to regress. This spring was supposed to show signs of progress something tangible to build on heading into 2026. So far, that progress hasn’t been there.

Part of the concern stems from how Crews arrived at this point. He was pushed quickly through Double-A and Triple-A, performing adequately at each stop but never displaying the kind of sustained dominance that typically demands promotion.

At the time, the aggressive timeline felt driven as much by optics as development. The Nationals wanted to keep fan interest high and avoid the perception that their No. 2 overall pick was falling behind others from his draft class. In hindsight, that approach may have left Crews without the foundation needed to adjust once pitchers began exploiting his weaknesses.

Now, at the major league level, he looks like a hitter reacting instead of dictating guessing rather than anticipating.

Ryan Zimmerman once described spring training as a time to simply see pitches. See the pitcher. See what the ball looks like. See where it goes. Take pitches and build recognition. Winning in March doesn’t matter.

That philosophy underscores the current dilemma. Is Crews truly benefiting from continued exposure to major league pitching? Or is he reinforcing bad habits while trying to figure things out under constant scrutiny?

Triple-A could offer something he hasn’t had in a while: space. Space to slow the game down, work closely with the new coaching staff, and rebuild confidence away from the daily spotlight. Let him find his footing there and when he does, bring him back with momentum rather than hope.

There’s still time for Crews to turn things around, and there’s a strong chance he’ll be on the Opening Day roster. He’s a major piece of the Nationals’ rebuild, and organizations rarely send players of his pedigree back to the minors once they’ve reached the majors.

Still, the Nationals should seriously consider starting him in Triple-A if the struggles continue.

That move wouldn’t signal failure. It would signal patience. And for a rebuilding team that isn’t contending this season, patience may be its most valuable asset.

The Nationals don’t need Dylan Crews to be great in April. They need him to be right. And if starting the season in Triple-A gives him the best chance to become the player they believe he can be, it may be the smartest long-term decision they make.