There’s nothing subtle about Washington Nationals outfielder James Wood. Listed at 6’7” and 234 pounds, the 21-year-old’s long hair and longer strides stand out among his peers. And after finally getting called up to The Show, it took the supremely gifted Wood no time to show why his arrival was preceded by so much buzz.
Wood’s ascent to this level has been a breathtaking case of pure talent forcing the issue. He arrived in the Nationals’ system as perhaps the least-heralded member of an enormous prospect haul for outfielder Juan Soto that included shortstop CJ Abrams and pitchers MacKenzie Gore and Robert Hassell III. At the time of the trade, Wood was 19 and viewed largely as a toolsy project, with eye-catching physical traits but also holes in his swing and a physical profile that portended a possible slide down the defensive spectrum at some point from center field to first base.
It took Wood no time to establish himself as one of Washington’s best prospects, and eventually one of the most exciting in all of baseball. He hit 26 homers with an .874 OPS in 2023, earning a quick promotion to Triple A to start this season. There, he cut his strikeout rate to 18.2% alongside a 17.3% walk rate, producing a preposterous .353/.463/.595 slash line in 52 games. Were it not for a hamstring injury suffered in late May, Wood likely would have made his debut weeks ago.
In his first game last Monday, Wood singled in his first plate appearance. By his third game, he had moved up to the No. 3 spot in Washington’s batting order. In his sixth game, he hit his first homer and had five RBIs by the third inning.
By Sunday, Wood had reached base 14 times, the most of any Nationals player ever in his first seven career games. He struck out seven times compared to six walks over 31 plate appearances, and even flashed some leather playing out of position in left field. It was a whirlwind display of talent meeting with opportunity to add even more excitement to what’s become a Washington club brimming with potential.
Since winning the franchise’s only World Series title in 2019, the Nationals haven’t sniffed .500 in any of their subsequent five seasons. Following Monday’s 6–0 loss to the St. Louis Cardinals, the team was still 42–49 and on the fringe of a wide-open National League wild-card race. Wood’s promotion is perhaps an indication that general manager Mike Rizzo and the front office are looking to “go for it,” so to speak, as the July 30 trade deadline looms.
Or, perhaps, Wood’s play down on the farm made it impossible for the organization to wait any longer. Combined with Abrams and Gore, Wood has made the Soto deal—an awkward situation as the organization was essentially backed into a corner to trade a generational player—look like a shrewd move that’s poised to pay off for the next half-decade.
And, if Wood can prove that his first week in the big leagues was no fluke, it could pay off much quicker than anybody expected.
