People of a certain generation, as well as devoted movie fans, are likely familiar with the classic film Dirty Harry. More specifically, Clint Eastwood’s iconic character delivers the unforgettable line: “You’ve got to ask yourself one question: ‘Do I feel lucky?’ Well, do ya, punk?” While the circumstances are obviously quite different, that famous quote comes to mind when examining the possibility of the Seattle Mariners pursuing a trade for Dylan Crews.
According to Spencer Nusbaum of The Athletic (subscription required), Crews has reportedly become a prominent name in trade discussions. Nusbaum suggests that the increased interest stems largely from the limited number of right-handed-hitting outfielders currently available on the market. Meanwhile, executives within the Nationals organization have reportedly made it clear that acquiring controllable starting pitching is a priority. That combination could put the Mariners in an interesting position as a potential trade partner.
On paper, Crews represents an intriguing buy-low opportunity. The 24-year-old possesses considerable upside and was selected second overall in the MLB Draft just three years ago, behind Paul Skenes. However, unlike Skenes, Crews has yet to translate his considerable potential into consistent major league production. More importantly, there are some concerning similarities between his situation and Jarred Kelenic’s time in Seattle.
Few Mariners fans have forgotten the disappointment surrounding Kelenic and what his career was supposed to become. Once the sixth overall pick in the draft, Kelenic climbed as high as No. 4 on the list of baseball’s top prospects, even ranking ahead of Julio Rodríguez at one point. Fast-forward to today, and he finds himself a free agent who has struggled to live up to his enormous potential despite opportunities with three different organizations since departing Seattle. His career trajectory has increasingly raised questions about whether he could ultimately be remembered as one of baseball’s biggest draft disappointments.
Mariners Must Be Cautious About Acquiring Another Jarred Kelenic
To be fair, we’re not ready to declare Kelenic’s major league career over just yet. We’d genuinely love to see him put everything together and finally realize the potential that once made him such an exciting prospect. Unfortunately, the outlook isn’t particularly encouraging at the moment.
One recurring concern throughout Kelenic’s career has been that many of his struggles appeared to be mental rather than physical. That brings us back to Crews and some of the questions surrounding his approach to the game.
We’re certainly not going to pretend to be experts in evaluating a player’s mentality, but there’s something about Crews’ comments following the 2026 campaign that deserves closer examination. Speaking with Barry Svrluga of The Athletic in September, Crews offered a somewhat defiant assessment of his season, stating: “I feel it’s a steady progression throughout the whole year. Feel like I’ve learned a lot — and some of it was unlucky.”
On the surface, there’s nothing particularly wrong with that response. Maintaining confidence and believing in personal improvement are important qualities for any young player. However, when that supposed progression results in a career-best .223 batting average and .663 OPS during his third major league season, it’s difficult to view the overall picture as encouraging.
Even more concerning is that the underlying numbers don’t exactly support the suggestion that bad luck has played a significant role in his struggles.
Simply put, Crews has struggled to make consistent contact and produce offensively. He finished the 2026 season in just the 11th percentile for Batting Run Value. His plate discipline has also moved in the wrong direction since entering the majors. As Svrluga pointed out, Crews actually chased more pitches outside the strike zone in 2026 than he did during his rookie season.
Perhaps that reflects a young player pressing to make something happen and prove himself at the plate. Regardless of the explanation, it’s a troubling trend that the Mariners would need to consider before making any significant investment.
Can Dylan Crews Turn His Confidence Into Major League Success?
Crews continues to view himself as a five-tool player, and there’s certainly nothing inherently wrong with having that level of self-belief. Elite athletes often possess an extraordinary amount of confidence in their abilities, and that mentality can be a major factor in reaching the highest levels of professional sports.
There are still reasons to believe in Crews’ potential. When he reaches base, he possesses excellent speed, while his defensive ability remains an encouraging part of his overall profile. In fact, he finished the 2026 season in the 87th percentile for Range (OAA).
However, confidence also needs to be accompanied by self-awareness. When things aren’t going according to plan, sometimes the best approach is to take a step back, recognize the areas that need improvement, and make the necessary adjustments. That’s where some of the concerns surrounding Crews begin to emerge.
Once again, the comparison with Kelenic becomes difficult to ignore.
During spring training in 2023, Kelenic was openly confident that his previous major league struggles had little to do with his actual ability. According to Daniel Kramer of MLB.com, the former Mariners outfielder spoke about the lessons he’d learned over the offseason and expressed optimism that they would translate into considerably more success during the upcoming campaign.
To Kelenic’s credit, he initially backed up that confidence. Through the end of April, he was absolutely on fire, producing a .982 OPS and 171 wRC+. Unfortunately, his production eventually began to decline, and he appeared increasingly unequipped to handle the mental challenges that came with struggling at the plate.
The most memorable breaking point arrived in late July, when Kelenic fractured his foot after kicking a Gatorade cooler out of frustration. That incident effectively marked the beginning of the end of his time in Seattle. The Mariners eventually traded him to Atlanta during the offseason, and he has continued to struggle to establish himself with another organization.
Should the Mariners Take a Chance on Dylan Crews?
Ultimately, there’s nothing wrong with the Mariners exploring a potential trade for Crews. His prospect pedigree, athleticism, and remaining upside make him an intriguing candidate for a team looking to improve its outfield.
The Nationals might publicly insist that they would “need to be blown away” by an offer to consider moving him. However, that could simply be negotiating posturing from an organization that has a clear need for controllable starting pitching. Conveniently, that’s an area where Seattle has the potential to provide exactly what Washington wants.
Nevertheless, Jerry Dipoto needs to approach this situation with considerable caution.
Crews could eventually develop into the impact player everyone envisioned when Washington selected him second overall. But the Mariners have already experienced the frustration of investing in an immensely talented young outfielder who struggled to turn his potential into consistent production.
Kelenic should serve as a reminder that prospect pedigree and raw ability don’t automatically guarantee major league success.
If Seattle believes Crews can overcome his current struggles and become the player his talent suggests he can be, then perhaps taking a calculated risk makes sense. But before surrendering valuable pitching assets, Dipoto needs to ask himself one very important question: Do the Mariners really feel lucky enough to risk going through the Jarred Kelenic experience all over again?
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