'It's always a good feeling': Crews launches 1st spring HR

JUPITER, Fla. -- Dylan Crews belted 58 home runs during his stellar, three-year collegiate career at LSU. On Wednesday, the No. 2 overall pick in last year's Draft connected for his first of Major League Spring Training.

Crews rocked a changeup from Marlins southpaw Jesús Luzardo for a two-run homer out of center field at Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium in the Nationals’ 9-3 win. The ball traveled 393 feet at 102.4 mph with a .670 xBA.

“I was hoping a little sooner than later, but it felt good to get a barrel in and help the team win today,” Crews said following his eighth Spring Training game. “I think the off-day helped a lot, just physically and mentally to kind of get the feet underneath me again.”

Crews, who is ranked the organization's top prospect and baseball's No. 7 overall by MLB Pipeline, nearly went yard in his first at-bat of the game, too. His double off a 95.3 mph fastball from Luzardo soared 387 feet to the center-field wall. It would have been a home run in three Major League ballparks.

"The first [at-bat], he swung first pitch, saw a fastball,” Luzardo said. “Now I know he's just an aggressive guy and [I] have to deal with that. He was a high Draft pick, he’s obviously a good ballplayer, so now it's just more of getting to know him during Spring Training. Now we know a little bit more. He's aggressive. Just have to make them a little uncomfortable, but that's how it is."

Crews finished the game 2-for-3 with two runs scored and two RBIs. He joins James Wood (MLB No. 14, Nationals No. 2), Brady House (MLB No. 48, Nationals No. 3) and Robert Hassell III (Nationals No. 8) as prospects who have homered in camp.

“He stays in the middle of the field, he’s got a lot of power to all fields,” manager Dave Martinez said. “But to see him stay on a couple balls today like that was really, really impressive. It was a good day for him. He’s a baseball player -- he’s [the] first one in the cage, he comes ready to play.”

“Obviously he’s picked there for a reason,” said starter Patrick Corbin, who tossed four innings. “To have a guy like him and Wood, those are some bright players in this organization. I’m looking forward to having them behind me and that bat at the plate, too. They both have a chance to be around for a long time.”

Last season, Crews was honored with the Golden Spikes Award for the best player in amateur baseball. From the College World Series to now, he has been hungry for another homer.

“I haven’t hit a home run in a game in months because of the offseason and stuff like that,” Crews said. “To get the first one out of the way, it’s always a good feeling.”