Eddie Smith’s protégé to debut with the Washington Nationals

Washington Huskies coach Eddie Smith helped develop one of the MLB’s top prospects, who is set to make his MLB debut.

Just like Jedd Fisch and the football program, Washington Huskies baseball coach Eddie Smith can now make the professional ranks a major selling point. During Smith’s time with the LSU Tigers, one of his top players was true freshman Dylan Crews.

Crews, who went on to win the 2023 Golden Spikes Award, was selected No. 2 overall by the Washington Nationals and after a little over a year in the minor leagues, will reportedly make his MLB debut on Monday. Ranked as the No. 3 prospect in the sport by MLB Pipeline, the Nationals are hoping he could become a cornerstone piece for the franchise alongside rookie sensation James Wood.

If he’s able to live up to those expectations, Smith can say he played a critical role in his development, which Crews is quick to acknowledge.

“Working with coach Smith my freshman year in college was a great opportunity that I had and it’s something that I will remember for the rest of my career,” Crews said after Smith was hired.

“The energy and attitude that he brought every single day to the field molded our team into one of the best physically and mentally prepared teams in the country. I think the best thing that I got out of my freshman year when working with him was how to ‘flip the switch’ when arriving to the field. Coach Smith put hours of effort into preparation for us players to have the best opportunity to win every game.”