Washington Nationals Summer Call-Up Already Among Top Rookies in Baseball

The Washington Nationals outfield is in good hands with this young emerging star in the mix.

Aug 26, 2024; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Washington Nationals left fielder James Wood (29) waits to bat against the New York Yankees during the fourth inning at Nationals Park. / Rafael Suanes-USA TODAY Sports

Things have been tough for the Washington Nationals since they won the World Series in 2019, as they are set to miss the postseason for a fifth consecutive year. But, there is a lot to get excited about for this team in the future.

One of the reasons for optimism is outfielder James Wood. A top prospect coming into the season, Wood was called up to the Major Leagues and made his debut on July 1st.

He has been a stalwart in the Nationals’ lineup since, playing left field in all 51 of his appearances and logging all but 21 of his plate appearances between the second and fifth spot in the batting order.

Wood is going to be a middle-of-the-order bat for Washington for years to come. Measuring in at a towering 6’7” and 234 pounds, he has regularly showcased his elite athleticism and power.

In 215 plate appearances, Wood has recorded a .280/.377/.430 slash line with seven doubles, three triples, five home runs and 11 stolen bases. He has scored 29 runs and knocked in 31 with a 0.9 WAR.

That production was good enough for him to just make the Top 25 rookies that Joel Reuter of Bleacher Report put together. The Washington star took the final spot in the rankings, ranking in at No. 25.

Only six other full-time outfielders were ranked ahead of Wood by Reuter. Ceddanne Rafaela of the Boston Red Sox, who has also logged innings at shortstop would be seven.

“Wood looks the part of a future middle-of-the-order star, settling in nicely as the Nationals everyday left fielder since making his MLB debut on July 1. The 21-year-old has a lot to live up to as the prospect centerpiece of the blockbuster deal that sent Juan Soto to the San Diego Padres at the 2022 deadline, but he is off to a nice start,” Reuter wrote.

Also coming over to the Nationals in the Juan Soto blockbuster was CJ Abrams, who represented the team in the 2024 MLB All-Star Game. MacKenzie Gore has been a mainstay in the rotation but has yet to live up to the top prospect billing he received.

There will be a lot of pressure on Wood, who is going to be part of the next core of young Washington players to replace some legends from that World Series team. So far so good, as the lights don’t look too bright at all for the IMG Academy product.