Nationals fans can surround Monday, July 1 as one of the most anticipated days in recent franchise history. They plan to promote the best people James Wood first in MLB when they return home with a series against the Mets that day, reports Grant Paulsen of 106.7 FM The Fan. Talk Nats recently suggested that may be the target date for this prospect’s debut, and it appears that is indeed the Nats’ plan. Washington would need to legally opt out of Wood’s contract to add him to the 40-man roster. The 21-year-old Wood, currently the No. 3 player in the game in Baseball America, was one of the frontrunners in the blockbuster trade. Juan Soto from Washington to San Diego two years ago.
Wood, now 21, was selected by the Padres in the second round of the 2021 draft. Baseball America ranked him as the #5 prospect in the San Diego program going into 2022. He increased his chances quickly, with strong showings in 50 Single-A games that year. He hit ten home runs, stole 15 bases and drew a walk in 15.7% of his plate appearances, striking out just 17.8% of the time. His .337/.453/.601 batting line translated into a 168 wRC+.
As mentioned, Wood switched teams in the 2022 deal that sent Soto to the Padres, and the Nationals also got him. CJ Abrams, MacKenzie Gore, Robert Hassell III, Jarlin Susana again Luke Voit. Wood continued at the Single-A level after that deal, hitting .293/.366/.463 for his new organization.
Heading into 2023, Wood was considered one of the top 20 prospects in the game and was hitting hard. He appeared in 129 games last year between High-A and Double-A, hitting 26 homers and swiping 18 bags. His 31.5% strikeout rate was slightly higher but he was still walking at a string clip of 11.8%.
This year, Wood’s progress has continued with impressive numbers, albeit with a slight injury hiccup. At the end of May, he suffered a hamstring injury that lasted him a month, but he returned to the field and seems to be showing signs of aging. Through 51 Triple-A games this season, he is currently sporting a monster line of .346/.458/.578. That includes ten home runs, ten steals and a 17.3% walk rate. He also lowered his strikeout rate to an orderly 18.2%.
Wood is clearly ready for the next step and will try to face the challenges of the big league. Not every prospect finds immediate success when promoted to the big leagues, so it shouldn’t be a huge surprise if he can’t continue to put up video game numbers like he did in the minors, but there’s little left for him to prove and showtime.
For the Nationals, it’s a very exciting transition period for this promotion. They’ve spent much of the last decade in a rivalry, with rosters featuring similarly popular players Bryce Harper, Stephen Strasburg, Trea Turner, Max ScherzerSoto and others, winning the title in 2019. But the bottom fell out soon after winning that World Series, which led to the trade of Scherzer, Turner and Soto.
While managing a productive talent like Soto may have been difficult for Washington’s front office and its fans, it has played a big role in what appears to be a quick return to respectable baseball. Abrams’ defense is still a work in progress but he’s putting up big offensive numbers and stealing bases, while Gore is having a great season on the mound.
The Nats entered this season clearly in a rebuilding position but they are not completely out of the National League’s weak competition. Their 38-42 record is clearly low but they are only three games out of the Wild Card spot at this point.
If Wood can make it to the majors right away, that would obviously be a boost to their chances of hanging onto that playoff race. Wood has experience in all three outfield positions but has been in left field since returning from injury, perhaps suggesting that is where the Nats plan to put him. Jesse Winker he’s been playing in that position and is having a good season, but he’s not considered a strong defender and may be relegated to an attacking role. Eddie Rosario has been active as a DH for most of this month but is hitting just .181/.226/.330 on the year. If he is going to be the one to give up more playing time for Wood, it will be a low bar for Wood to clear for Wood in giving the Nats an immediate upgrade.
Whether or not the Nats can be a surprise contender this year, Wood is still in line to be a big part of the new core that is slowly taking shape in Washington. As mentioned, Abrams and Gore have great seasons. Jacob Young he hasn’t hit much but has a solid floor in center field due to his speed and defense. Small and manageable pots love it Jake Irwin, Mitchell Parker again DJ Herz they have shown encouraging signs to varying degrees. Cade Cavalli he will return to that mix after he finishes adjusting to Tommy John surgery. And Wood won’t be the last happy promotion, with Dylan Crews, Homes in Brady and others along the way.
The trade deadline is July 30, more than a month away, so the club can take that time to decide if they want to try something this year or focus on putting the pieces together for the future. Either way, there’s a lot to like about the long-term view. More than talent, you are boring Patrick Corbin the contract will expire at the end of this season. That will leave future earnings relatively clean, Keibert Ruiz and Strasburg are the only notable deals on the books. Ruiz’s deal has a minimum annual fee while Strasburg’s deal was renegotiated to waive more money as part of his retirement. In short, the club has a lot of potential to build around its emerging core going forward.
For Wood, he will not be able to earn a full year of service this year. A top prospect called up mid-season could get a full year of service by finishing twice at the top of the Rookie of the Year voting, but that’s not really going to happen for him right now. Even if he crushes the ball for the next three months, he won’t be able to catch the boys Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Paul Skenes, Joey Ortiz and other rookies who already have plenty of time to progress.
He also won’t have enough time to reach Super Two status after 2026, based on where he was previously limited. The earliest he would be eligible for compensation would be after 2027 and his first free work period would be after 2030. Future optional activities may push back those timelines but that won’t be a concern if he continues to put together the way he’s been on the farm.
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