James Wood making his case for Nationals' Opening Day roster
Washington Nationals prospect James Wood is not wasting any time in spring training.
Wood has established himself as one of the top prospects in the game, a consensus top 25 prospect in the past two seasons. He is showing why this spring, belting homers in the first two games. His latest blast was impressive - a long homer to the batter's eye to center off a lefty.
Wood was under pressure to perform when he came to the Nationals organization. He was part of the package that sent Juan Soto to the Padres, a local kid that could have been considered the heir apparent to Soto in right. Wood has done his best to live up to the pressure as he moved through the Nationals' system. That continued in 2023 as he produced a .262/.353/.520 batting line in his 549 plate appearances between High-A and Double-A, hitting 26 homers and 28 doubles while stealing 18 bases.
The 14th best prospect in baseball per MLB.com, Wood had already been expected to make his major league debut this season. He is considered to have plus-plus power and plus speed, a combination that has the Nationals dreaming of a dynamic middle-of-the-order bat. He showed why as his in-game power took a step forward in 2023. His 26 homers were the second-most of any prospect 20 years old or younger.
Wood does have some concerns going forward. He struggled to make contact against breaking and off-speed pitches, especially when he was promoted to Double-A. Wood could use more seasoning in the minors to be better equipped to handle those offerings.
However, the Nationals do have openings. Joey Gallo is currently listed atop the depth chart at both first base and left while Victor Robles has not set the world on fire during his time in the majors. If Wood continues to impress in spring training, it could be difficult to leave him behind.
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