James Wood is a Superstar

James Wood is the next transcendent star to take center stage in the nation’s capital, and they can’t let him leave

Despite the teams short history, Washington Nationals fans have seen a lot of star players over the years. We have seen Bryce Harper, Juan Soto, Anthony Rendon, and Trea Turner, so we know what stars look like. James Wood is the Nationals newest star.

Some may think I am anointing him too soon, but I really don’t think so. He is already one of the most talented hitters in all of baseball. The power Wood possesses is just jaw dropping. Opposing broadcasters and fans are left in awe by some of the things he can do.

It is not just flashes either, Wood is already highly productive. He has a 156 OPS+ so far this season, meaning he is 56% better than league average. His .911 OPS is highly impressive and it still just seems like he is scratching the surface.

Last year, Wood was solid, but we wanted to see more power. The 6’7 slugger only hit nine homers in 79 games. Well, Wood has found his power stroke. This season he already has eight homers in just 25 games. Wood has a good chance to be the Nats first 30 home run hitter since 2019.

Despite this, I still think there is so much more in the tank for Wood. He is underperforming his Baseball Savant numbers, suggesting he might be unlucky. I also think there are areas for him to grow as a hitter in general.

Don’t get it twisted, James Wood will never be a pull oriented hitter and going to the opposite field will be a great gift for him. However, finding a way to turn on more balls could unlock a new level for him. He pulled a homer the other night and it was majestic. Wood hit the ball 116.3 MPH, a freakish number.

There also always feels like there is one at bat a game where James isn’t as locked in as he should be. I think that is a product of being a young hitter, and it is something that is very fixable. Once he figures that out, I think he can get even better.

There is scary offensive upside here. James Wood has the talent to be the best hitter in baseball one day. However, we have seen those talents in DC, but have never been able to keep them around long term.

The Nationals need to do what they can to keep Wood around. It will be difficult, as he is repped by Scott Boras, but the Nats need to make Wood a big time offer. One thing that could work in the Nationals favor is that Wood is from Rockville, Maryland, and grew up in the area.

His family is very involved in the area and are still in the DMV. Hopefully the Nationals can use this to their advantage. It has hurt seeing the Nationals lose so many homegrown stars over the years. We do not want to see this happen again. Being a hometown kid, an extension could be more likely for Wood than fellow Boras clients like Juan Soto.

Even if it is tough, it is something the Nationals need to explore. The kid is already a star player and is only going to get better. He is 22 years old and has one of the highest offensive ceilings in the game. Extending him would be a statement that the Nationals mean business again.

The Nationals have seen the likes of Juan Soto, Bryce Harper, Trea Turner and Anthony Rendon come and go. Hopefully James Wood can be a Nationals lifer like Ryan Zimmerman, and not just another star who left DC.

James Wood is the Nationals shining light at the moment. Getting him for Juan Soto was such a blessing, but we need to keep him around. Not many players can do what James Wood can do and that is why he is already a star in this league.