Okay so yesterday I was super hyped because I finally pulled that Dylan Crews Diamond card in my Diamond Dynasty squad. Been grinding packs forever, right? Figured, hey, he’s got crazy speed and a sweet swing, let’s see what this kid can do. Spoiler: it wasn’t pretty at first.
The First Try – Total Mess
Jumped straight into Ranked Seasons, all confident. Threw Crews into my leadoff spot. Big mistake. First pitch fastball, tried to swing for the fences. Whiff. Like, completely missed it. Second pitch? Curveball low, fooled me again, weak pop fly. Third pitch? Another swing and a miss. Struck out looking like a rookie. Felt bad, man.
Next few games? Same story. Kept trying to hit homers with him. Either struck out or hit lazy fly balls. His average tanked down to .150. Started thinking maybe this card was overhyped. Seriously frustrating.
Switching Things Up
After like, ten games of pure crap, I took a break. Looked at his stats again. Realized his power isn’t top-tier amazing, but his contact and vision ratings? Pretty solid. Maybe I was using him wrong. Time for Plan B.
- Moved him DOWN in the lineup. Put him in the 2-hole instead of leadoff. Less pressure right away.
- Changed my approach COMPLETELY. Stopped trying to mash. Started focusing on just making contact. See ball, hit ball. Aim for gaps.
- Used his speed WAY more. Bunt defense on? Perfect. Laid down a few drag bunts. Easy singles. Got me on base.
- Got aggressive on the bases. Single? You KNOW I’m trying to steal second immediately. His 99 speed? Chef’s kiss. Scored a run from first on a double like it was nothing. Felt amazing.
Finally Seeing Results
Man, what a difference! Hitting behind my leadoff guy, it felt different. Pitchers maybe more focused on the guy before him? I dunno. Started seeing more fastballs maybe. Instead of swinging out of my shoes, I just focused on lining it into the outfield.
Started racking up singles and doubles. Hits started dropping. Got a clutch double down the line that drove in two runs. Stole third base easily right after. Then scored on a sac fly. Felt like I was actually using his skills instead of fighting them.
Even hit a few homers later, but only when I got a pitch perfectly down the middle. Didn’t force it. Average climbed back over .300 after a bunch of games. HUGE relief.
The Big Takeaway
Don’t treat Crews like a pure power hitter, at least not for me. Trying to be a hero with him led to disaster. When I calmed down, moved him down a spot, played small ball, used his legs? That’s when he started raking. He’s not my cleanup guy. He’s my table-setter, my pest on the bases, the guy who turns a single into a double with his wheels. Changed my whole lineup dynamic.
Saved me a ton of Stubs too, ’cause I almost rage-quicksold him after that brutal start. Glad I gave him another shot the right way.
