Former LSU OF, No. 2 overall pick Dylan Crews agrees to $9 million deal with Washington Nationals

Former LSU outfielder Dylan Crews has agreed to a deal with the Washington Nationals after being selected with the No. 2 overall pick in the 2023 MLB Draft in July.

According to Jon Heyman of MLB Network, the deal is worth about $9 million (Slot $8,988,500).

No. 2 overall pick Dylan Crews, LSU OF, agrees to terms with Nats. About $9M. (Slot $8,988,500).

— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) July 21, 2023

Crews, 21, put together a banner season in 2023, hitting .426 with 18 home runs and 70 RBI to help lead LSU to a national championship. His efforts earned him the Golden Spikes Award as the top player in college baseball, beating out teammate and No. 1 overall pick Paul Skenes (Pittsburgh Pirates) for the honor. He’s the second LSU player to ever win the Golden Spikes, joining Ben McDonald.

“He’s got a whole bag full of tools. He does everything well,” said Mike Rizzo, Nationals general manager and president of baseball operations, via MLB.com. “His baseball IQ is terrific. He’s a great baserunner — he’s a fast runner, but he’s a great baserunner also. He plays both sides of the ball, defensively and offensively. He’s got a propensity to barrel up baseballs. He’s an on-base percentage machine. …

“Beyond that, he’s got the demeanor and characteristics of a winner and a champion. He was very alluring to every team out there, and we were fortunate enough to grab him.”

Dylan Crews beginning MLB journey after impressive career at LSU

During LSU’s College World Series-clinching victory over Florida, Crews — like many of the Tigers — had a monster day at the plate. He went 4-for-6 with an RBI and three runs scored to help lead LSU to an 18-4 blowout victory to bring home the seventh CWS title in program history.

“You could see the way he handled himself at the most pressure situations — his calm, cool demeanor,” Rizzo said. “Not unlike a lot of the great players that we’ve had here in the past — Anthony Rendon and those type of players — that his heartbeat is slower than most and his pulse rate is slower. And the bigger the stage, the better he plays. That went into a lot of our decision-making. He’s been great for a long, long time, and we hope that he continues to be great for the Nationals.”