The Dylan Crews effect is real folks. It is clear to see that the Washington Nationals are a different team when Crews is on the field. His on field performance is not even the biggest part of this. It is his intangibles and leadership that the Nats missed so badly when he was out of the lineup.
When Crews was gone, the Nationals looked flat and lifeless far too often. However, since Dylan Crews has returned to the fold, the energy has come back. Seeing a guy like Crews run a hard 90 down to first
and play with his hair on fire is contagious.
If his college career proved anything, Dylan Crews is a winner. Losing is not an option for him and he wants to bring that mentality to the Nats. Last night in his interview after the game, he mentioned how he wanted to bring a new culture to the Nats. You can see that in how he plays.
James Wood is a great player, even with his prolonged recent struggles. However, he is not a leader, at least not yet. Wood does not play with the same high intensity style that Crews does. There is nothing inherently wrong with that. You can be a great player while being more of a slow heart beat guy, just look at Anthony Rendon. However, you need higher energy players around those kinds of guys.
With Crews around, there is a different level of swagger in the locker room. He plays every game like it is his last game, which is a contagious thing. The hustle and motor are non-stop for Crews whether he goes 0-4 or 4-4.
Early in the season, you could tell the effort was there for Crews, but the results were not. You can have all the leadership skills in the world, but if you are the worst hitter on the team, that message does not get across as clearly. However, Crews has been hitting well lately. He started to figure some things out before he went down with injury and that has come back when he got back into the lineup.
In his last 15 games, Crews has a .907 OPS. Since coming off the IL, Crews has a .798 OPS in six games. One thing that stands out is that Crews only has three strikeouts in his 20 AB’s since coming back. Early in the season, Crews had some big swing and miss problems. However, he is not a guy with a history of high strikeout rates.
Another thing I have noticed is that Crews has been showing a more patient approach. It is a small sample size, but he has three walks since coming back and has been working better at bats. With his base running, leadership and speed, the bat does not have to be elite for Crews to be an elite player. It only needs to be good.
I have a ton of faith that Crews can be a good hitter. He may never be a truly elite hitter due to his ground ball heavy batted ball profile and some whiff in his game. However, he has the smarts, the exit velocities and the well rounded game to become a good hitter.
He will never reach James Wood levels offensively, but he provides a more well rounded game. Crews brings the vibes the Nats desperately need as well. There is a reason the team is close to .500 when he plays this season.
As the kids say, Dylan Crews has a certain aura that makes people gravitate towards him. Last night, the Nats twitter account put out a funny video where Crews was having a little bit of fun with Dan Kolko. While that is just a small video, it is the kind of energy and confidence I love.
He was big brothering Kolko the way the guys in the 2010’s did. Dylan Crews has a certain look and swagger that just screams ‘ballplayer’. It sounds silly, but it is something the Nationals really miss.
While talent is king, you need to have a winning culture in the clubhouse. When your best player is not the most outgoing guy, you need a guy like Dylan Crews to bring the juice. Dylan Crews looks like he will be an excellent player. However, his value goes beyond the playing field. Winning teams need leaders and Dylan Crews is a leader of men.
