Entering 2026, Daylen Lile and Dylan Crews were two of the most hyped youngsters on the Nationals’ big-league squad. Lile was coming off a rookie campaign where he posted an excellent 131 wRC+ in 91 games, including a scorching hot September, earning him a player of the month award and a top-5 finish in NL Rookie of the Year voting. Dylan Crews had yet to string together much big-league success, but he’d also missed much of 2025 due to injury, and the draft pedigree and bursts of success were still
there.
2026, however, has been a bit of a letdown for both hitters. Lile has made large strides defensively in left field, going from the 5th percentile in OAA in 2025 to the 74th percentile in 2026, but the bat has not been nearly where it was in 2025, as entering today, he has a 92 wRC+ on the season, down 39 points from his 2025 mark. His whiff rate has increased by about 4%, his chase rate has increased by an alarming 13%, and his OBP sits under .300 entering today.
As for Crews, while many thought this could be the year of his breakout under the new regime, that has not been the case, as he began the season in Triple-A, and while he’s seemingly made some strides in his third big-league season, such as hitting the ball harder than ever and getting the ball off the ground more, the results haven’t been there for show, with a 80 wRC+ entering today, just 2 points higher than in 2025.
The good news is that while both their bats have left something to be desired in 2026, Lile and Crews are winning ballplayers in many other facets, such as both being plus defenders now and having 90th+ percentile speed. Their offensive issues are both against one side: for Lile, it is against LHP, where he has a 59 wRC+, and for Crews, it is against RHP, where he has a 54 wRC+. Crews has feasted on LHP this season, with a 136 wRC+, and Lile has done well against RHP, with a 104 wRC+ and probably more than that in the tank if he can improve his plate discipline.
So my question is, if the Nationals plan on being competing for a playoff spot in 2027, whether that’s by winning the division or making a Wild Card spot, would the best course of action be to bring in a free agent outfielder and to platoon Daylen Lile and Dylan Crews? If you give Daylen Lile roughly 100 starts when the Nats face a righty, and Dylan Crews roughly 62 starts when the Nats face a lefty, you come out with a combined season of plus defense, speed, and offense from the two of them. You also gain a valuable pinch-hitting option off the bat in whichever of the two doesn’t start the game, giving you the ability to pinch-hit Daylen Lile in a critical situation against a righty reliever, or vice versa.
Daylen Lile vs RHP/Dylan Crews vs LHP combined in 2026:
509 PAs, 468 ABs, .260 AVG, 21 HRs, 26 2Bs, .318 OBP, .468 SLG, .786 OPS
162 games of a .786 OPS with above average defense and baserunning is an easy 3-4 WAR ballplayer, production that would be huge for the Nationals in a 2027 season where they likely plan on being competitive in the Wild Card hunt. Platooning Lile and Crews in the corner outfield allows James Wood to rotate between corner outfield and DH as needed, Jacon Young to patrol Center Field full time with Crews subbing in occasionaly to give him days off, and perhaps a chance for the Nats to add a thumper to their lineup via free agency, It is not a great free agency class for hitters, but the once place there is some depth is in the corner outfield, where the list of free agent names includes George Springer, Ian Happ, Seiya Suzuki, Randy Arozarena, Taylor Ward, Lane Thomas, and more.
Potential 2027 Nats OF vs. RHP:
LF: Daylen Lile, CF: Jacob Young, RF: James Wood/FA, DH: James Wood/FA
Potential 2027 Nats OF vs. LHP:
LF: James Wood/FA, CF: Jacob Young, RF: Dylan Crews, DH: James Wood/FA
While I understand why some fans would hesistant giving up on Daylen Lile and Dylan Crews so soon as everyday hitters, the reality is that if the Nationals want to truly compete for a playoff spot in 2027, it will be an uphill battle in a strong National League, and they can’t afford another season of bad production by Lile and Crews against one side or the other.
Combining their strengths allows the Nats to have one of the strongest outfields in all of baseball, with Young patrolling center field, James Wood carrying the offense, and Lile and Crews trading off and doing damage against their respective sides.
