MLB Insider Predicts These Nationals Standouts Will Make NL All-Star Team
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The month of June was not kind to the Washington Nationals, who entered the year's sixth month on a hot streak and genuinely were threatening to push for a National League wild card spot.
Instead, a cold spell led to several long losing skids, and the team now owns a record of 35-49 as of July 2. That mark puts the team in last place of the National League East division, even below the lowly Miami Marlins.
Despite the team's hopes of becoming a surprise entrant into the MLB playoffs being effectively dead, there will still be a lot of positives to take away from this season on an individual level as the team continues to build for the future.
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With announcements of the starting lineups for the MLB All-Star Game coming up, it's a great sign that multiple Nationals have strong cases for inclusion.
MLB insider Ken Rosenthal thinks so as well when he released his predictions for the All-Star Game rosters over at The Athletic (subscription required).
Rosenthal picked two Washington stars to make the first cut, and noted that several others just barely missed out.
The two obvious inclusions are left-handed pitcher MacKenzie Gore and outfielder James Wood.
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Gore earns a nod with his strong 3.09 ERA and spectacular 129 strikeouts in 99 innings of work. The lefty has transformed himself into one of MLB's top strikeout artists this year.
Rosenthal noted that as the difference maker, pointing out that it differentiated the North Carolina native from some of his peers who have lower ERA marks.
For Wood, Rosenthal drew a juicy comparison between the rising superstar and the all-world outfielder he was acquired as part of the package for — Juan Soto of the New York Mets.
"Wood over Soto? The 22-year-old prodigy over the $765 million man? Sounds crazy, especially when Soto’s 1.196 OPS in June was the second best for any month of his career," Rosenthal pondered, "But for the season Wood still has Soto beat in OPS, fWAR, bWAR, you name it. Yes, Soto is the bigger name. But the kid the Nationals once acquired for him is closing the gap pretty quickly."
Wood, still just 22 years of age, looks every bit like he will become the next great slugger in MLB.
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He's hitting .283/.386/.552 with 22 home runs, and he's even stolen 11 bases.
He's a true all-around threat offensively.
One way or another, he will earn his first All-Star Game bid this season, and it will be followed by many more in the years to come.
For more Nationals news, head over to Nationals On SI.
Kyle Morton has covered various sports from amateur to professional level athletics. A graduate of Fordham University, Kyle specializes in MLB and NHL coverage while having previous bylines with SB Nation, The Hockey Writers, HighSchoolOT, and Sports World News. He spent time working the beat for the NHL's Carolina Hurricanes and is an avid fan of the NHL, MLB, NFL and college basketball. Enjoys the outdoors and hiking in his free time away from sports.