Nationals Promising Outfielder Named Organization's Best Player Under 25 Years Old

The Nationals have a handful of promising young prospects in the outfield, but one stood out from the rest.

Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images

When Paul Toboni was hired as president of baseball operations for the Washington Nationals, he knew he had a big job in front of him. He started making some changes with front office decisions, which led to the departure of long-time employees.

His first hire in the nation's capital is bringing a former Boston Red Sox scouting chief, Devin Pearson, with him as assistant GM of the Nationals. He was instrumental in the Red Sox's stockpiling of young talent that is ready to burst on the scene full-time in Boston.

One thing that Washington has in place for both Toboni and Pearson is young, promising talent. They have some outfielders who are part of the future, and one of them was ranked as the organization's best player under the age of 25.

Nationals Outfielder Named Organizations Top Player Under 25 Years Old

Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

Joel Reuter of Bleacher Report listed each team's top player under the age of 25, and truth be told, there were a few options he had with the Nationals. He ended up naming 23-year-old James Wood Washington's top player under 25 years old, with Daylen Lile as an honorable mention.

"With an imposing 6'7", 234-pound frame and light-tower power, Wood emerged as a franchise cornerstone in his first full season in the big leagues, posting a 132 OPS+ with 38 doubles, 31 home runs, 94 RBI and 3.7 WAR in 157 games. His staggering 221 strikeouts and 32.1 percent strikeout rate speak to the work he still needs to do in his development, but there is a lot to like about his long-term upside,'' Reuter wrote.

There is no doubt that Wood emerged as a franchise cornerstone this summer in what was an All-Star season. He got a taste of the majors in 2024 in 79 games. He slashed .264/.354/.427 with nine home runs, 41RBIs, 13 doubles, and four triples a year ago. His problem of strikeouts this year plagued him in 2024 when he struck out 97 times in 295 at-bats.

Lile, Wood, and Dylan Crews are projected to be Washington's starting outfield next season, and that's a nice starting place for Toboni, the front office, and whoever gets officially named manager of the Nationals. The rest of the roster has a lot of questions and what changes will need to be made.

Wood was part of the blockbuster Juan Soto trade in 2022 as part of the return from the San Diego Padres. The 62nd overall pick by the Padres in the 2021 MLB draft, Wood has made his way through the minors and is now what Washington fans hope is a long-term piece of their outfield and lineup.

---