School: Louisiana State University; Class: Junior
Position: CF; B/T: R/R
Height: 6-1; Weight: 203
Previously Drafted: N/A
High School: Lake Mary High School
| Hit | Power | SB | Patience | Glove | Overall |
| 60 | 60 | 55/50 | 55 | 55 | 70 |
Background: Louisiana State University’s certainly no stranger to high caliber, future big league talent. The SEC-based school’s churned out one #1 overall selection (Ben McDonald, 1989) and one second overall draft pick (Alex Bregman, 2015). And that’s just the tip of the hat. LSU’s alums include: Albert Belle, who was on a Hall of Fame trajectory before hip issues wrecked his career, Aaron Nola, D.J. LeMahieu, and Kevin Gausman, among others. But the perennial collegiate powerhouse hasn’t ever featured a one-two punch like Dylan Crew and Paul Skenes, the consensus top two players in a very deep 2023 draft class.
A product of Lake Mary High School, Crews was one of the top prep outfielders heading into his senior season, but the 6-foot-1, 203-pound thumper eventually withdrew his name from the 2020 draft due to an unwavering commitment to the Tigers. And despite the COVID pandemic governing his final prep season, Crews quickly established himself as one of best college ballplayers.
Appearing in 63 games for former head coach Paul Mainieri, the Florida-native mashed .362/.453/.663 with 16 doubles, two triples, 18 homeruns, and a dozen stolen bases (in only 15 attempts). And the awards just started rolling in, including:
- Perfect Game National Freshman of the Year
- Second-Team All-American (Perfect Game, D1 Baseball)
- Third-Team All American (NCBWA, ABCA)
- First-Team Freshman All-American (Collegiate Baseball, D1 Baseball, NCBWA)
He continued his offensive onslaught during the summer, as well, slugging .350/.435/.550 across seven games for Team USA’s National Collegiate Team.
Crews nearly matched his offensive production line during his follow up campaign in 2022, bashing .349/.463/.691 with 11 doubles, four triples, and 22 long balls. And, of course, he continued to compile hardware, including: SEC Co-Player of the Year, Consensus First-Team All-American, SEC All-Defensive Team, and First-Team All-SEC. His second stint with Team USA, though, wasn’t nearly as successful (.100/.308/.100).
Through his first 61 games in 2023, Crews has – seemingly – raised the bar from extraordinary to historic. He’s sporting a Rogers Hornsby-esque .432/.573/.736 with 14 doubles, one triple, 17 homeruns and a perfect six-for-six in the stolen base department. Perhaps, the most impressive aspect of his final campaign: he owns an impeccable 40-to-61 strikeout-to-walk ratio.
Scouting Report: To put Crews’ tenure at LSU in perspective, consider the following:
- Since 2011, there’s been just 22 instances in the vaunted SEC in which a hitter slugged at least .340/.440/.650 in a season (min. 225 PA). Dylan Crews has done it three times.
Taking it one step further:
- Since 2011, here’s the list of SEC hitters to slug .420/.560/.700 in a season (min. 225 PA): Dylan Crews
- And here’s the list of any Division I hitters to post a .420/.560/.700 in a season since 2011 (min. 225 PA): Nolan Schanuel, a potential first round in 2023, and – of course – Dylan Crews.
Crews hits all the important check boxes: elite bat speed, elite pitch recognition, power, speed, and the potential to handle an up-the-middle position. The toolsy centerfielder grinds out plate appearances, fighting off tough to hit pitches, and spitting on offers off the plate. Crews has a knack – more so than any other college prospect in recent memory – to consistently barrel up the ball, regardless of the quality of the hurler. He’s a physical specimen with a thick lower half that can muscle the ball out of any ballpark, but he’s incredibly fluid and twitchy. Interestingly enough, Crews seems to use two separate setups at the plate: he’ll stand more upright with a noticeable leg kick and then also employ a wider base, quick slide step in a more defined crouch with two strikes. Very good offspeed hitter. In terms of big league ceiling, think: .320/.400/.560. He could be up in the big leagues by the end of 2024.
Ceiling: 5.0-win player
Risk: Moderate
Grade: First Round
