Crews Sent Down, Fantasy Impact & Bounce-Back Potential

0:00On March 31st, the Washington Nationals just shook things up by sending outfielder Dylan Cruz down to Triple A Rochester right before opening day. This guy is a five-tool talent with plus power, elite sprint speed, and 20 home run, 30 steel potential from his big league glimpses. But after a rough spring training where he hit just 103 with 11 strikeouts and 34 played appearances, the team hit the reset. New front office boss Paul Taboni and manager Blake Boutera are changing the culture. No more rushing prospects like in the past. Cruz was chasing bad pitches, getting behind and counts, and posting a 50% ground ball raid that killed his power. They won him tweaking his swing in a low pressure spot, ditching the toe tap for his old leg kick to lift the ball better. Fantasy players are dumping him fast. His average draft position plunge from 171 to 373, and ownership in Yahoo Leagues is. Down to 44%.

1:00In shallower leagues, he's wavered wire fodder now, ranking over a thousand spots lower. Projections have him back for about 100 games this season, hitting 240 slash 310 slash 346 with 12 homers, and 20 steels according to ZypS. Just expect a 4-8 week stint in Rochester, call up likely late April or mid-May if he slashes 280 and cut strikeouts early. Grab Cruz cheap on waivers, or trade for bench scraps while his price is low. This power speed combo sets him up to bounce back strong once he's dialed. Innen, Washington Nationals News today, powered by AI bringing you what matters on and off the field. I'm Cory with the story.