Nationals get Dylan Crews with No. 2 pick in MLB Draft
LSU outfielder Dylan Crews entered the 2023 MLB Draft as the consensus No. 1 overall prospect on big boards around the country.
On Sunday evening, Crews was selected by the Washington Nationals with the No. 2 overall pick in the draft.
Crews was not expected to go No. 1 after he reportedly wanted more than slot value from the Pittsburgh Pirates. The Pirates, who were widely projected to pass on Crews, selected LSU pitcher Paul Skenes with the No. 1 pick.
With Skenes and Crews coming off the board in the first two picks, LSU became the first college baseball team in draft history to have players selected No. 1 and No. 2 in the same year.
Crews takes home CWS title, Golden Spike Award
Crews, a junior from Longwood, Fla., batted .426 (110-for-258) for LSU’s 2023 National Championship team with 16 doubles, two triples, 18 homers, 70 RBI and 100 runs. He was voted to the College World Series All-Tournament Team, batting .375 (12-for-32) in the CWS with one double, one triple, one homer, three RBI and 11 runs scored.
The 2023 Golden Spikes Award winner and the SEC Male Athlete of the Year, Crews finished No. 1 in the nation in runs scored (100), No. 1 in walks (71), No. 2 in on-base percentage (.567), No. 2 in base hits (110) and No. 3 in batting average (.426). He completed the year with a reached base streak of 75 games, which included all 71 games of this season and the last four games of the 2022 season.
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Crews is a two-time member of the SEC Community Service Team for his exemplary work in the Baton Rouge area with families affected by autism. He was also named to the 2023 SEC Academic Honor Roll.
A look back at the decision to pass on the draft for LSU
After winning a national title in late-June, Crews reflected on his decision out of high school to take his talents to Baton Rouge instead of the minor leagues.
“Man, it was a tough out of high school. I was an 18-year-old kid. Didn’t know what to expect for the future. There was a lot of, like, just if you go to school, it was like a bad thing or something like that,” Crews said. “So to make that decision as a young kid like that and to be able to go to school — this is what I wanted to do. I wanted to go to school. And I wanted to experience this and bring a national championship to LSU.
“So if I had to give any advice, it’s go to school, really. Experience this. Don’t miss out on these three years. Just develop as a player, physically and mentally for the next level and everything will take care of itself.”
