Nationals’ slugger earns a spot in the top 25 with historic offensive pace originally appeared on The Sporting News.
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James Wood first made a name for himself as a high school athlete in Washington, D.C. However, he would later transfer to IMG Academy in Florida for his junior year and would limit his focus to just baseball, hanging up the basketball shoes.
He was originally slated to play his college ball at Mississippi State University but was a top prospect in the 2021 MLB Draft.
He caught the attention of the San Diego Padres, who drafted him 62nd overall, but he would not last long. The following year, he was traded alongside CJ Abrams, Luke Voit, MacKenzie Gore, Robert Hassell III, and Jarlin Susana in exchange for Juan Soto and Josh Bell.
Nationals’ slugger earns a spot in the top 25 with historic offensive pace
Wood would make his MLB debut in 2024 and hasn’t looked back. He was on the Opening Day roster last year and has stuck as an everyday player ever since.
This season, he is really helping lead a red-hot Nationals offense. Across 88 games, he is hitting .265/.389/.522 with 22 home runs and 55 runs batted in.
With the season he is having, Bleacher Report’s Kerry Miller has given him the No. 25 spot in his midseason top 25 list.
“In addition to being on pace for roughly 40 home runs and 25 stolen bases, Wood is leading the National League in runs, walks and strikeouts. The only other player in at least the past 25 years to lead his league in each of these departments was Aaron Judge in 2017. If only the Nationals could occasionally protect some of the leads Wood gives them.”
Wood is a massive power threat who is getting walked a ton and making opposing pitchers pay for putting him on. Now, if he could just work on his strikeout numbers.
