Crews will start in right field and bat eighth in Thursday's season opener against the Phillies.

EDGE Analysis

Crews spent most of his time in the leadoff spot last season and hit either first or second throughout spring training, so it's a surprise that he's down so low in the batting order for Opening Day. Nationals manager Dave Martinez has all left-handed or switch hitters in the first five spots of his lineup Thursday against righty Zack Wheeler.

Crews went 1-for-2 with a walk, a triple, two runs scored and a stolen base in Sunday's Grapefruit League game against the Mets.

EDGE Analysis

Hitting second behind CJ Abrams, Crews was busy on the basepaths, swiping his first bag of the spring after drawing a first-inning walk. The 22-year-old outfielder stole 12 bases on 15 attempts in 31 games during his big-league debut in 2024, and there's no reason to think he'll be reined in this season -- the Nationals led the majors in steals (223) and SB attempts (296) last year, and as a team they've already gone 6-for-6 through their first two Grapefruit League contests.

Crews projects to be Washington's No. 2 hitter this season, Jessica Camerato of MLB.com reports.

EDGE Analysis

Crews made 17 starts at leadoff hitter and six starts in the No. 2 spot last year, in addition to some starts further down the lineup. However, with CJ Abrams expected to lead off, Crews projects to hit second. While Crews is a good hitting prospect, it's his stolen-base potential that is so alluring for 2025, as he stole 12 bases in 31 games last year and his 5.6 percent attempt rate ranked seventh in the majors, per Statcast.

Crews went 2-for-3 with a walk, a run scored and a stolen base in Saturday's 6-3 win over the Phillies.

EDGE Analysis

Crews was a pest all night and came around to score on a homer by Joey Gallo in the eighth inning. The 22-year-old has gone just 4-for-38 in his past 10 games, and Saturday was his first multi-hit effort since Sept. 17. On the season, he is hitting a lowly .198 but does have three home runs and 11 steals across 128 plate appearances with the Nationals.

Crews went 0-for-4 with a stolen base in Wednesday's 10-0 loss to the Mets.

EDGE Analysis

Crews was hitless for the third time in five games but still swiped a bag after getting aboard on a fielder's choice in the first inning. His speed has translated quickly at the major-league level with nine thefts on 11 attempts over his first 21 games. The bat hasn't been quite as good -- he's hitting .232 and slugging .390 with three home runs, eight RBI, eight runs scored and four doubles while seeing plenty of playing time in right field. It's also encouraging he was back to second in the order after finding success with a 3-for-4 performance batting seventh in Tuesday's contest.

Crews went 2-for-4 with an RBI, a stolen base and a run scored in Thursday's 6-3 loss to the Marlins.

EDGE Analysis

Crews picked up a pair of hits, an RBI and a steal before the second inning was done Thursday against the Nationals. After a streak of three straight games without a hit, Crews now has multi-hit games in back-to-back days. While his slash line of .241/.308/.448 leaves room for improvement, Crews has racked up three homers, eight RBI, six steals and seven runs in his first 15 games. It's a small sample size, but Crews has started in every game since his call-up and should continue to see regular playing time down the stretch. 

Crews went a combined 2-for-6 with a home run, a double, two walks, two runs, three RBI and two stolen bases across both games of Saturday's doubleheader sweep versus Pittsburgh.

EDGE Analysis

Crews did most of his damage in Game 1, when he knocked a solo homer and a run-scoring double in addition to swiping two bags. Though he went hitless in the nightcap, the rookie outfielder did contribute a sacrifice fly. Crews entered Saturday in a 3-for-21 slump with zero extra-base hits over his previous five contests, and he's slashing .233/.320/.512 with three home runs, six RBI, six runs and five steals through his first 11 big-league games.

Crews went 2-for-4 with a solo home run and an RBI double in a 5-2 win against the Yankees on Wednesday.

EDGE Analysis

Crews wasted little time making an impact, as he drove Carlos Rodon's second pitch of the game over the fence in left center for his first major-league homer. He wasn't done, as the rookie outfielder added a run-scoring double in the fourth frame. Crews went 0-for-3 in his big-league debut Monday but has looked very comfortable since, going 2-for-4 in each of his subsequent contests. Of his first four major-league hits, three have gone for extra bases.

Crews went 2-for-4 with a steal, a double and one run scored in Tuesday's 4-2 win versus the Yankees.

EDGE Analysis

The Washington rookie posted his first career hit in the second inning, roping a double to left off Gerrit Cole. Crews wasn't finished though, knocking an infield single in the sixth before swiping the first bag of his MLB career. The 22-year-old has all the makings of a future star after slashing .265/.340/.455 with eight homers and 10 steals across 238 plate appearances at Triple-A Rochester. He should get full playing time in the Nationals outfield while Alex Call (foot) is on the injured list and could seize control of a lineup spot if playing well.

The Nationals selected Crews' contract from Triple-A Rochester on Monday.

EDGE Analysis

The top prospect is ready to make his major-league debut Monday against the Yankees after slashing .270/.342/.451 with 13 home runs and 25 stolen bases this season between Double-A Harrisburg and Rochester. Crew has played both center field and right field but would appear likely to see most of his action in right for the Nationals with Alex Call (foot) recently landing on the injured list.