The Washington Nationals have struggled to stay relevant since their World Series win a few years ago, as nearly all the key players from that triumph have either retired or moved to other teams. Among them was Juan Soto, whose trade brought in top prospects James Wood, CJ Abrams, and their top pitching prospect, Jarlin Susana. The Nationals’ farm system has since developed into one of the more promising collections of talent, especially with high-end players in the minors. While pitching prospects are notoriously volatile, the Nationals boast two of the better young arms in the minors in Susana and Travis Sykora. Additionally, their recent draft leveraged their bonus pool effectively, which should help yield a few future big leaguers. Headlining their farm system is Dylan Crews, widely viewed as a potential franchise cornerstone who’s likely to graduate from prospect lists within the first few weeks of the season. Crews could be the face of the next competitive Nationals team. The Nationals’ pitching development has also shown signs of modernization, as several pitchers have made notable improvements in command. They even traded for Alex Clemmey at the deadline, believing they could enhance his command to maximize his potential. Although the Nationals are still a few years from competing in the NL East, the core of young major leaguers they’ve assembled and an exciting pipeline of prospects gives fans reasons to look forward to the future.
About Our Top 20 Lists
Prospects Live, led by its evaluating team & Director of Scouting Rhys White, is proud to begin rolling out its annual offseason system reports. The team combines industry feedback, our live looks, film, and available data to compile each org. We believe this effort has enabled us to present you, the reader, with our best possible view of the prospects in the organization.
We have constructed this list using the Overall Future Potential (OFP) scale. There is no perfect equation for ranking prospects or assigning value to them, but we believe this method is the best possible approach. Every prospect on this list has been graded based on the tried and true 20-80 scouting scale. An 80 is the highest tool and OFP grade on the scale, reserved for MVP-caliber players or tools. Conversely, a 20 is reserved for non-prospects (NPs). A 50 OFP falls in the middle, indicating our evaluators deem this player a future average major league player. Below the 50 OFP tier are the 45s and 40s, comprising a large majority of players on each list. These are specific-role players, such as platoon hitters, utility players, or low-leverage relievers. Above the 50 OFP tier are the 55s and 60s. A 55 represents a future above-average player, and a 60 OFP designation is reserved for future All-Star caliber players.
In addition to the tool grades and OFP, we will also include a 'Risk' associated with each prospect. We use this to better communicate to you, the reader, whether a grade is more aggressive or conservative in nature. The evaluation team has worked hard to apply both the grades and risk components to better illustrate how each individual prospect stacks up in their respective system and in the baseball ecosystem.
Below you'll find the top 5 players in the system with a full report for the #1 prospect in the system. The full rankings and scouting reports on all top 20 prospects per team will be available on our Patreon at the 55-tier ($5) as we publish them. We’ll also have additional content on Patreon for each team: Honorable Mentions, and Top 10 players 25 years and under.
Top 5 Team Rank and Scouting Report for #1 System Prospect Below
1. Dylan Crews, OF
DOB: 2/26/2002, HT: 6-0, WT: 205, H/T: R/R, Acquired: 2023, Round 1 ($8,388,607)
Highest Level: MLB, ETA: 2024
OFP: 60
Hit: 55, Power: 60, Field: 60, Throw: 60, Run: 60
Risk: Moderate
Scouting Report:
The Nationals handled Dylan Crews' first taste of the major leagues as well as they could have—he's just 21 at-bats away from prospect graduation. This not only sets them up for a potential PPI pick next year but also allows Crews to get his feet wet against some of the best pitchers in the world. He's widely regarded as one of the best prospects in the game, thanks to his five-tool skill set. As a dynamic athlete, Crews has the speed to challenge for infield hits on ground balls and to steal his fair share of bases. His speed also translates well to the outfield, where, while he's projected as a corner outfielder, his range and reads are both plus. In the batter's box, Crews initially showed a two-pronged issue at the major league level: he was overly passive but became more aggressive as he adjusted to major league pitching. Additionally, he tended to get on top of the ball, contributing to a higher-than-normal ground ball rate. However, these are small-sample issues, and Crews has shown enough barrel control to adjust and correct this tendency. He displays above-average plate coverage and can take pitches the other way, though it would be nice to see him lift and pull more consistently. For now, he's more of an all-fields hitter who works deep counts and capitalizes on mistakes. He doesn't whiff at an alarming rate, which only strengthens his profile. When Crews does pull the ball, he demonstrates plus power. Having already made his debut, Crews will likely graduate off prospect lists within the first week of 2025. He has been a plus big league regular for a very long time. - Rhys White
Fantasy Spin:
The debate between Crews and Langford will last on who the better player is. The early career arc for both should be similar, with a .260ish average, and a 20/30 stat line seems reasonable. Crews won’t be a prospect long, limboing in just under the at-bat threshold into our top 15. Crews does everything well, and it’s hard to poke a hole in his game. He may be more of a line-drive hitter but that can just lead to more steals. He’s one of the better dynasty assets you can target at the moment, although waiting for him to hit a cold streak may be the better play. - Ryan Epperson