Dylan Crews: Making a Difference
Louisiana State University alumni Crystal and Robbie White settled in with their 7-year-old daughter, Aubrey, to watch their alma mater play in a televised baseball game during the 2021 spring season. Upon seeing her favorite player on the screen, Aubrey started cheering his name.
"Dylan Crews!" she said. "Dylan Crews!"
While that might be typical in many households, it was anything but in the Whites' living room.
Aubrey suffers from seizures and was born with non-verbal autism. She hadn't spoken a word since birth, not even "Momma" or "Daddy." But suddenly Crystal and Robbie heard their daughter's voice for the first time, encouraging the Tigers' freshman outfielder.
Video of the moment, recorded surreptitiously by Crystal, eventually reached Crews, who was on his way to winning the National Freshman of the Year. Their first meeting was, of course, at an LSU baseball game when Dylan's father, George, bought tickets for the White family to come to Alex Box Stadium.
That was the start of a deep friendship that blossomed over his three seasons in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, between the two.
"Aubrey is a special girl, and it means everything to me," Crews told Leah Vann of The Advocate in 2022. "Whether it's giving back to my community or to others, I want to make it feel like I have a purpose in this world other than baseball."
Since his freshman season, Crews also volunteered at the Miracle League at Cypress Mounds, an organization that gives children with disabilities or special needs the opportunity to play baseball as part of a team. He has found a way to make an impact off the baseball field.
"A lot of those kids don't have friends," Crews said. "They don't get invited to birthday parties and all that type of stuff. So to be a voice for them and to be a friend to them, it's greater than anything I've ever accomplished."
After Aubrey's first experience was so memorable, Crews and his family wanted to make a more significant difference. They purchased four seats in Section 202 down the right-field line to donate to children with disabilities every LSU home game. The program took off, and special needs families from across the state attended to find the games fun and accessible.
"It's hard for me to talk about it and not get choked up," George Crews told MLB.com's Anthony Castrovince. "All these families have told us it's about inclusion. They never would have even thought about going to a baseball game because of the difficulties that arise when you have a special needs child. But to see these kids' faces light up when they see all the people there and cheering, man, it's such a wonderful, wonderful thing."
Crews' star was rising on the baseball field as he led the Tigers to the 2023 title at the Men's College World Series. He batted .426 with 18 homers, 70 RBIs, and 100 runs scored in his junior year, and he was named the Golden Spikes Award winner as the best amateur baseball player in the United States. But he still took time before games to sign autographs and take pictures with his invited guests.
The program grew as word spread throughout the state-wide community of special needs families. For his last game in front of the home crowd, nearly 100 fans came to show their appreciation and repay his generosity in some small way.
Crews plans to start a foundation in the future and continue this mission.
After getting drafted by the Nationals with the No. 2 overall pick, Crews has quickly moved up the Washington system with a short stay in Class Low-A Fredericksburg followed by a promotion to Harrisburg for the final month of last season. He returns to City Island to begin 2024 with his MLB dreams within reach.
At the plate, the ball jumps off Crews' bat. His athleticism shines when he's on the base paths and roaming the outfield's vast expanse. His name sits near the top of every prospect ranking. But he knows that baseball has its ups and downs, and he doesn't have far to look to gain perspective when he's in a slump or hits a rough patch.
"It keeps you grounded," Crews said. "You realize that things aren't as bad as they really are. It gives me a whole new realization of not just baseball but also what life is."
If he ever forgets that, he just glances down at his wrist to see bracelets his friend and biggest fan, Aubrey, gave him that he still wears every day. They remind him of what's truly important as he strives to make a difference away from the diamond.
This article was originally found in issue #2 of the Senators’ program and was reprinted with the permission of the Harrisburg Senators