Nationals Blockbuster Juan Soto Trade Has Provided Team With Early MVP Candidate

The Washington Nationals look to be on their way to a sixth consecutive losing season, but there are signs that their lengthy rebuild could be coming to an end in the near future.

After winning the World Series in 2019, the franchise began moving veteran pieces and embarked on a rebuild. That has resulted in a lot of losses on the field, but strides are beginning to be made.

One of the foundational blocks the team is going to be building around is left fielder James Wood, who has been the early MVP for the team in 2025 with stellar production at the plate.

“It’s not supposed to be this easy to justify your franchise’s decision to trade a player like Juan Soto. But here we are, not even a full year into Wood’s major-league career, with a good number of people calling Washington’s trade of Soto to San Diego a success,” wrote Tim Britton of The Athletic (subscription required), in a piece highlighting each team’s MVP thus far.

A second-round pick in the 2021 MLB draft of the San Diego Padres, he has not been a Major Leaguer for even a year but has already cemented his status as one of the best young power hitters in the game as he is approaching franchise history.

Through 53 games and 233 plate appearances, he has a .284/.378/.542 slash line with an elite OPS+ of 159. He has hit 13 home runs and 13 doubles with 36 RBI and seven stolen bases.

A person who stands 6-foot-7 and weighs 234 pounds is expected to have gargantuan power potential, but the speed and athleticism are what sets him apart from his peers and makes his ceiling ridiculously high.

“Wood’s not the only part of that, but right now he’s the biggest, and not just because of his frame. He’s been a top-15 hitter in the sport so far this year. He’s 22,” Britton added.

Joining him in the return package from the Padres are two more players who were in the running for the early MVP nod; shortstop CJ Abrams and starting pitcher MacKenzie Gore.

Had Abrams not landed on the injured list earlier in the campaign, his case to be named the Nationals early MVP would have been stronger.

Gore, who has turned into the MLB’s premier strikeout pitcher, is breaking out to anchor the starting rotation.

Those two are having a major impact and are legitimate building blocks, but Wood has earned the distinction with his rapid rise to stardom.

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