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Dylan Crews and Paul Skenes helped lead LSU to the 2023 College World Series title. They were one of the most dominant one-two punches in college and became the first set of college teammates to be selected No. 1 and No. 2 overall in the draft.
Skenes was the first pick, going to the Pittsburgh Pirates, while Crews went second to the Washington Nationals. But looking at their careers in the big leagues so far, there's a clear discrepancy.
Skenes has quickly become one of the most feared arms in all of baseball, while Crews is still working on some things.
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Last year was supposed to be Crews' first full year in the big leagues. However, he suffered a left oblique strain in late May that cost him nearly three months.
That cost him a good amount of developmental time, which likely has led to the struggles this year.
He started the year in Triple-A, but after going on a tear, he was called up. But since his call-up, he hasn't really done much, hitting .189/.230/.337 with four home runs and 14 runs batted in.
Crews sticks out like a sore thumb, especially with how this offense is operating this season. And with this, Bleacher Report's Kerry Miller has put the young slugger under a microscope.
"While the No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 draft has become a god, this No. 2 overall pick is struggling to establish that he belongs in the majors at all with a .627 OPS 139 games into his big league career. Will he eventually break through?"
Luckily, the rest of the offense has been elite. But, maybe that puts more pressure on Crews to press at the plate and start barreling baseballs like the rest of his squad, which could lead to more frustrations for the young slugger.
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