Crews, Sykora and Green headline Nats' Minor League awards

WASHINGTON -- The Nationals honored standout performances on Tuesday with the announcement of their 2024 Minor League awards.

This year’s recipients were recognized in an on-field ceremony prior to the Nationals’ 1-0 extra-inning loss to the Royals at Nationals Park.

While award winners Dylan Crews and Darren Baker prepared for the series opener against Kansas City, Elijah Green, Daylen Lile, Brad Lord and Travis Sykora reflected on their seasons in a pregame press conference.

Hitter of the Year: OF Dylan Crews (Nationals’ No. 1 prospect, MLB No. 1)
Levels played: Double-A, Triple-A, Major Leagues

Crews made his Major League debut on Aug. 26, a year after being selected as the No. 2 overall pick out of LSU. In 100 games between Double-A Harrisburg and Triple-A Rochester, Crews batted .270 with 21 doubles, six triples, 13 home runs and 68 RBIs. He also scored 60 runs, walked 36 times and stole 25 bases. Prior to his promotion to the big leagues, he ranked second among Nationals Minor Leaguers in extra-base hits (40) and triples, and third in slugging percentage (.451), OPS (.793) and RBIs.

Pitcher of the Year: RHP Travis Sykora (Nationals’ No. 3, MLB No. 92)
Levels played: Single-A

Playing in his first full professional season since being drafted out of high school in the third round of the 2023 MLB Draft, Sykora dominated with Single-A Fredericksburg. He was named the Carolina League Pitcher of the Year with a 5-3 record, 2.33 ERA, 129 strikeouts and 27 walks in 85 innings across 20 starts. Sykora recorded nine strikeouts in five scoreless innings to help the FredNats claim the Carolina League title.

“Definitely a great first season with the experiences I got to go through,” Sykora said. “Obviously, staying healthy, that was the biggest thing. I was talking the other day, to get through your first season, that's one thing. But that's just a baby step because that’s one season and you want to go through your whole career staying healthy. It was good to see the hard work pay off, but you’ve got to keep going.”

Defensive Player of the Year: OF Elijah Green (No. 21)
Levels played: Single-A

Appearing in a career-high 100 games in center field, Green recorded a .964 fielding percentage and paced the Nationals’ farm system (ninth among Minor League center fielders) with eight assists. He cleanly fielded 77 straight chances in center field and completed 72 putouts from July 19 to Sept. 5. Like Sykora, he was a member of the championship FredNats.

“One word [to describe myself on defense] would be, I'd say, ‘elite,’” Green said. “I think one thing that I've continued to work on over the years is my first step. [I] just continue to read the balls off the bat, read the swings, and just go out there and just know that I'm the center fielder and that I can control a lot of things. … Just go out there being the leader that I am.”

Baserunner of the Year: INF/OF Darren Baker
Levels played: Triple-A, Major Leagues

Baker embraced the Nationals’ emphasis on running the bases in Spring Training and applied it to his season in Triple-A. Prior to his Major League promotion on Sept. 1, he topped the Nats’ system and ranked third-most in the International League in stolen bases (38). He also ranked second among Nationals Minor Leaguers and 12th in the International League with 70 runs scored.

Co-Nationals Way Award: OF Daylen Lile (No. 12)
Levels played: High-A, Double-A

Following a recovery from Tommy John surgery, Lile fell over the bullpen wall and was carted off the field with a lower back contusion in a scary play during Spring Training. He returned to put together a 15-game on-base streak from April 12 to May 2 with High-A Wilmington. Between the Blue Rocks and Double-A Harrisburg, Lile batted .262 with 23 doubles, 10 triples, 45 RBIs and six home runs while scoring 69 runs and swiping 25 bags in 130 games.

“It’s truly a blessing because what happened in Spring Training, a lot of people don't know what actually happened,” Lile said. “To be here, sitting up here, talking in front of you all and having the season that I had, it was just a blessing.”

Co-Nationals Way Award: RHP Brad Lord (No. 30)
Levels played: High-A, Double-A, Triple-A

Lord began the season in High-A and rose to Triple-A, going 10-4 with a 2.43 ERA while collecting 135 strikeouts over 25 starts across three Minor League levels. Lord led Washington Minor Leaguers in ERA, opponent’s batting average (.224) and winning percentage (.714). He also finished second in wins, WHIP (1.20) and strikeouts. Lord was named Eastern League Pitcher of the Month for June and July.

“It’s amazing [to] receive this award,” Lord said. “It shows that everyone pays attention, no matter what you do -- off the field, too. Receiving the award has been a huge honor. I can’t thank the Nationals enough for giving me that.”