For most of Jacob Young’s time as the Nats starting center fielder, it was assumed that he was destined to be replaced. Young was a 7th round pick and not a very highly touted prospect. With top prospects like Robert Hassell and Dylan Crews coming, Young was just keeping the seat warm until the big boys were ready to take it away.
However, as the bigger names have stagnated, Young has only ascended. This season he is having by far the most complete year of his career. The 27 year old has always been
an elite defender in center field, and that remains the case, with Young posting 12 outs above average. Progression with the bat is what has really taken Jacob Young’s game to the next level though.
This season Young has 10 home runs, a feat that was seen as unthinkable for him prior to this year. Following the Nats new hitting philosophy, Young is hitting the ball harder and in the air more often. That is allowing him to do much more damage. His .703 OPS and 95 wRC+ is more than serviceable given his glove.
The idea was that Crews and Hassell would pass Young because their bats were much better. When the new regime came in, most people thought that Crews and Hassell could be two big beneficiaries. However, it was Young’s bat that took the big step, not those highly touted prospects.
Those two may have more natural ability, but Young seems to be outworking them. That is no knock on their work ethic, more a testament to Young. After having a dreadful offensive season in 2025, he took it upon himself to go to Driveline and totally overhaul his approach to hitting.
That has helped Young become a valuable contributor. Meanwhile, Hassell is out of the organization and Crews is still stuck in neutral. The gritty placeholder now has a firmer place in the team’s future than even Dylan Crews, who was supposed to be a franchise altering player.
In two of the last three seasons now, Young has had 2 win seasons. He may not hit the ball 112 MPH or have top 100 prospect pedigree, but at a certain point you can no longer argue with the production. Right now he is a better hitter and fielder than Dylan Crews.
This season, we have been talking more about his bat, but Young reminded us just how incredible his defense is yesterday. He scaled the wall like spiderman and made an insane acrobatic catch. I don’t think there is a better outfielder at making plays at the wall than Young. Over the past few years, he has made about a dozen plays that have genuinely blown my mind.
When you talk to Young, it is easy to see why he has overachieved his whole career. Even in post-game interviews, he is very thoughtful and curious. He seems like the type that will leave no stone unturned to get better. I remember last year when he showed up to camp jacks. It may have been misguided, but it was an example of him wanting to do whatever it takes to improve.
Seeing how far he has come at the plate just shows you how hard he is working. Last season, I thought about Young similarly to Nasim Nunez, a bench guy at best. This Barry Svrluga tweet summarized my thoughts well.
Almost exactly 12 months later, Young is having a better year than all of those guys. In my mind at least, Young has passed Dylan Crews on the outfield pecking order. Heading into 2027, I would be content with a Lile, Young, Wood outfield, which is not something I thought I would be saying entering this year.
A lot of people have taken what Jacob Young has done this season for granted, but I am not going to. He does not have flashy offensive tools, but he is a good ball player who always brings something to the table. That is more than you can say about the highly touted options who have tried and failed to unseat him.
