In a surprising move, the Washington Nationals optioned outfielder Dylan Crews to Triple-A Rochester on Friday afternoon. Crews, the No. 2 overall pick in the 2023 MLB draft, hit .103 with a .309 on-base-plus-slugging percentage this spring.

The Nationals also optioned 2019 first-round pick Jackson Rutledge to Rochester.

Optioning Crews, though a shock, is defensible. New president of baseball operations Paul Toboni and his staff have expressed a commitment to prioritizing players’ long-term development. Sending Crews down to Rochester is a reflection of that commitment, even if it’s not the popular or easy choice.

Crews was one of the best hitters in college baseball in 2023. He earned the Golden Spikes Award, given to the best player in college baseball, and helped LSU win a national championship. The Nationals selected him in the draft that summer. Washington’s previous regime, led by former general manager Mike Rizzo, believed Crews could join players acquired in the Juan Soto trade in 2022 to push the Nationals into a new era of contention.

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Crews, though, never dominated in the minor leagues. In his first full professional season in 2024, he batted .270 with a .792 OPS between Double-A Harrisburg and Rochester. The Nationals promoted him in August 2024 anyway.

At the time, some in the organization worried Crews was rushed through the minor leagues. Staff expressed concern that Crews had flaws in his swing that could’ve been fixed with additional time in the minors. Scouts believed he hadn’t mastered plate discipline at the professional level.

Crews never quite found his footing once he arrived in the majors, batting .211 with a .634 OPS in 116 games. Last season, Crews struggled in the first two months, then suffered an oblique injury that sidelined him nearly three months. He finished batting .208 with 10 homers and a .631 OPS.

The 24-year-old outfielder made a name for himself with strong bat-to-ball skills in college; in the majors, he was often late on fastballs in the zone and chased breaking balls outside of it. He mashed fastballs in the minors but struggled to do so in the majors. He hit ground balls at a higher rate (50.2%) than the league average (44.2%) last season.

“Definitely not what I was expecting, but I learned a lot this year,” Crews said on Sept. 28 after the Nationals’ final game of 2025. “I don’t really look at anything like failures. I always look at everything as lessons.”

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Crews entered the year hoping to stay healthy and simplify his approach at the plate. The Nationals’ new coaching staff, led by first-year manager Blake Butera, aimed to help. Butera called Crews “an explosive player” at the winter meetings in December and wanted to instill confidence in Crews that he could become an All-Star-caliber player.

“I think the world of Dylan,” Butera said. “I think who we saw last year is not who Dylan Crews is.”

Crews had three hits, all singles, and 11 strikeouts in 29 at-bats during spring training. Spring numbers aren’t often indicative of a player’s future performance. But, in some cases, they can make a difference when a team determines final roster spots.

Brady House, another former prospect rushed to the big leagues last year by the Nationals’ previous regime, struggled in his debut season. Yet any conversation of a similar fate to Crews was avoided with a strong performance during camp.

Crews’ demotion is not an indication he is outside the Nationals’ long-term vision. Rather, it seems Washington is hoping Crews can make adjustments in Triple-A so that, when he returns, he can be a productive player for years to come.

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On Thursday, the Nationals optioned outfielder Robert Hassell III, another former top outfield prospect. There are five outfielders remaining in big league camp: Christian Franklin, Daylen Lile, James Wood, Jacob Young and Joey Wiemer.

Wood, Young and Lile are likely to be the starters entering the season. Franklin and Wiemer fit as potential defensive replacements.

This article has been updated.