Despite recent woes for the franchise, the Washington Nationals are only six years removed from a World Series championship. Not only have they reached the mountain top of success, but the team has also seen multiple megastars pass through the country’s capital. Since 2010, Nationals fans have been lucky enough to witness the primes of Stephen Strasburg, Bryce Harper, and Juan Soto. Today, they have another emerging young slugger looking to reach that level of stardom: James Wood.
James Wood’s 2025 Season
Wood broke into the MLB and made his debut last season. He flashed potential over 79 games with nine home runs and a 120 wRC+. For a rookie, that is a great start to a career.
This season, he’s taken a big-time leap. As it currently stands, his wRC+ has jumped to 150, and he already has 17 home runs. His OPS of .925. ranks 5th in the NL, and his advanced numbers support that he’s already one of the best hitters in the big leagues. Right now, his expected on-base percentage, expected slugging percentage, average exit velocity, barrel rate, and hard hit percentage all rank in the top 5th percentile in the MLB. The 22-year-old kid is one of the best hitters in the game.
Despite Wood already being one of the top hitters in the sport, he shows ample room for improvement. His whiff and strikeout percentages are both in the bottom 25th percentile in the league. As he gains experience against high-quality MLB pitching, those numbers should be expected to rise.
Why Wood can Become one of the Best in the MLB
On top of the numbers, the tools are a huge part of the buzz around James Wood. He has that Aaron Judge 6’7″ mammoth frame and power that baseball scouts dream of. Back in 2023, he was graded as a 5-tool player with all five categories (hit, power, run, arm, field) being viewed as above average to elite.
So far, Wood has not been a true 5-tool guy. Last season, he struggled and ranked below average in the field with -6 OAA. He’s already taken strides this year and sits right around league average. Once again, he’s showing a lot of improvement early on.
Wood’s mindset is also going to help him have continued success. He discussed his perspective on the game last week on MLB Network.
“The game humbles you,” said Wood. “It teaches you how to fail, and how to come back from that. It just teaches you whole lot of life lessons.”
While Wood has yet to face the challenges and triumphs that come with failure in his young MLB career, he’s aware that it’s inevitable and is prepared for what lies ahead.
James Wood is a 22-year-old phenom already approaching MVP-caliber numbers. He is flashing a unique potential that has Nationals’ fans optimistic, despite the team’s poor start to the 2025 season. While it’s still early, the belief that Wood will eventually win an MVP and lead the Nationals to playoff success feels well within the realm of possibility.
I guess the big question for Nationals fans is, will he stay on the team, or will they move on from the star like they did with Bryce Harper and Juan Soto years ago?
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