The Washington Nationals and LSU outfielder Dylan Crews, the second pick in MLB’s draft earlier this month, have agreed to a signing bonus in the $9 million range, according to the New York Post. This amount is slightly higher than the slot value of $8,988,500 assigned to the second pick and the second largest draft signing bonus ever, with the first being the $9.2 million received by Paul Skenes, the first pick by the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Prior to the draft, it was reported that Crews had been seeking $10 million. However, it is not uncommon for top draft prospects to initially ask for high bonuses before adjusting their demands once they are selected. Here are the largest signing bonuses in the bonus pool era (since 2012):
- Paul Skenes, Pittsburgh Pirates: $9.2 million in 2023
- Dylan Crews, Washington Nationals: $9 million in 2023
- Spencer Torkelson, Detroit Tigers: $8.42 million in 2020
- Jackson Holliday, Baltimore Orioles: $8.19 million in 2022
- Druw Jones, Arizona Diamondbacks: $8.19 million in 2022
Holliday, Skenes, and Torkelson were the first picks in their respective drafts, while Crews and Jones were the second picks. This year, Crews and Skenes, who led LSU to the College World Series championship, made history by becoming the first pair of teammates to be selected as the top two picks in MLB’s draft.
Crews, 21 years old, was the top prospect in the draft class following a remarkable season in which he had a batting average of .426, an on-base percentage of .567, and a slugging percentage of .713. He hit 18 home runs and recorded more walks (71) than strikeouts (46) in 71 games. Crews reached base in all 71 games this season and extended his streak of consecutive games getting on base to 75, dating back to last year.
Given Crews’ advanced skills as a college player, it is possible that he could make his major league debut as early as next season. With all due respect to other top prospects such as James Wood and young big leaguers CJ Abrams, MacKenzie Gore, Josiah Gray, and Keibert Ruiz, Crews is expected to be the new face of the Nationals’ rebuild and their future franchise player.
