As manager Blake Butera made his introductory phone calls to get to know the Nationals, there was a theme among many of the young players -- they were not satisfied with last season and want to perform better in 2026.
James Wood was disappointed in his second half, Daylen Lile was critical of his defense and Dylan Crews was unhappy with his first full season in the Major Leagues.
“Dylan,” Butera told him, “You’ve got time.”
Crews had high expectations for his first calendar of 162 big league games. A championship-winning collegiate career at LSU catapulted him to the No. 2 overall pick in the 2023 Draft. After debuting on Aug. 26, 2024, he entered last season in the mix for National League Rookie of the Year projections.
“I think the world of Dylan,” Butera said at the Winter Meetings. “I'm so excited to get him in here. What we saw last year was not the Dylan Crews we know. He's such an explosive player, and he's had success his entire life.”
But Crews went hitless in his first five games of the season. He didn’t homer until he went yard twice on April 19 at Colorado.
Crews was fighting to find an offensive rhythm when he was diagnosed in May with a left oblique strain. The competitive 23-year-old who prides himself on being available was sidelined for 71 games.
“It's the biggest gap in all of sports -- in my opinion -- going from Triple-A to the big leagues,” Butera said. “The skill level, the difference there is huge.”
Crews returned to the Nationals lineup on Aug. 14. He appeared in 40 games the remainder of the season and gained momentum in the final month. From Sept. 7-22, Crews batted .286 with a .482 slugging percentage, .815 OPS, two doubles, three home runs and eight RBIs.
Crews finished the season with a cumulative .208/.280/.352 slash line on the season. In the field, he ranked in the 82nd percentile of outfielders with three outs above average and showed above-average arm strength.
“When Dylan understands he can still be Dylan Crews in the big leagues and be himself and have confidence, ‘I don't just belong here; I'm an All-Star caliber player’ … We're going to support him with that, surround him with that and make sure he feels that way,” Butera said.
“A lot of it is to be confident and believe in who he is. He doesn't need to change anything just because it's the Major Leagues now. It’s easier for me to say than to do right now because there's a lot of pressure out there.”
Crews is a centerpiece of the Nationals future. The team believes he will put last season behind him and approach 2026 with the same determination and success that has gotten him to this point.
“We think the world of Dylan,” Butera said. “And I think he's just going to take off.”