The last five years have been a slog for the Nationals, who underwent a total facelift shortly after winning the World Series in 2019.
The trade of superstar Juan Soto in 2022 dealt Washington's major-league roster another huge blow, but the deal accelerated the Nationals' rebuild in part because it brought back outfield prospect James Wood. The selection of Dylan Crews with the No. 2 overall pick in the 2023 draft gave Washington fans one more reason to be excited for the future.
On Monday, all three — Wood, Crews and Soto — will be on the field at Nationals Park.
Soto will be in a Yankees uniform, but he and Aaron Judge might be overshadowed for just one night by Crews, who is making his much-anticipated MLB debut only 14 months after winning the College World Series at LSU.
Here's what you need to know about Crews' debut and his background.
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When is Dylan Crews' MLB debut?
Crews is set to debut against the Yankees at Nationals Park on Monday night, as first reported Friday. That means the Nationals will welcome Soto back with an outfield that includes both Wood and Crews — two potential cornerstones for the franchise.
Crews has played more centerfield than right field in the minors, but he's likely to see the bulk of his time in right with the Nationals due to Jacob Young's excellent defense in center.
The 22-year-old Crews spent most of his final collegiate season at the top of MLB mock drafts, but the rise of his teammate Paul Skenes changed Crews' ultimate destination. Rather than going to Pittsburgh, Crews landed in Washington D.C. and could actually face his LSU teammate next week when the Nationals head to PNC Park.
Dylan Crews college stats
| Season | Games | AVG | HR | RBI | OPS |
| 2021 | 63 | .362 | 18 | 42 | 1.116 |
| 2022 | 62 | .349 | 22 | 72 | 1.153 |
| 2023 | 71 | .426 | 18 | 70 | 1.280 |
| Career | 196 | .380 | 58 | 184 | 1.187 |
Crews posted an OPS north of 1.100 in each of his three seasons at LSU, batting a stellar .426 in his final season with the Tigers.
When was Dylan Crews drafted?
Crews was drafted with the No. 2 overall pick of the 2023 MLB Draft, behind only Paul Skenes.
The Nationals looked like the likeliest destination for Skenes until late in the process, but the LSU ace's dominant College World Series run elevated his stock in the eyes of the Pirates. Washington likely didn't feel too bad about landing Crews, who would have been the No. 1 pick in many drafts and did nothing but hit with the Tigers.
Crews hasn't been nearly as dominant in the minors, carrying an .806 OPS through 135 games since being drafted, but he was red hot in the weeks leading up to his promotion to the majors.
Dylan Crews mom, family tree
Crews' mother, Kim, is a nurse, while his father, George, owns a commercial printing business, according to LSU. He also has a younger sister named Lyndsee.
George Crews spent two seasons as a pitcher at the University of Memphis, so Dylan can attribute some of his athletic ability to his dad.
MORE: What else to know about Dylan Crews' roots
The Nationals posted a heartfelt video of Crews surprising his mom with the news of his MLB call-up, asking her if she had any plans for the next few days. She certainly does now.
Crews notably attended high school in Lake Mary, Fla. — the same Lake Mary that just won the Little League World Series on Sunday.