Nationals Slugger Makes 2026 All-Star Team in 'Way-Too-Early' Prediction
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The Washington Nationals continue to ramp up for the upcoming 2026 campaign.
They aren't projected to do a whole lot this season. With rebuilding still at the forefront of the organization's mind -- especially after hiring Paul Toboni to become the president of baseball operations -- this year will be a longstanding evaluation period.
Still, the established players on the roster will be expected to perform for the Nationals. And perhaps nobody will have greater weight on their shoulders to do exactly that than rising star slugger James Wood based on what he did during his first full year as an MLB player this past season.
James Wood Makes 'Way-Too-Early' 2026 All-Star Roster
After being named to the 2025 All-Star roster, it appears like the 23-year-old is on his way to being a perennial candidate to compete in the Midsummer Classic. And in David Schoenfield of ESPN's "Way-Too-Early" All-Star predictions for the upcoming season, he had Wood making the team once again.
However, the selection largely wasn't based on how Schoenfield believes Wood is going to perform during the first part of the year. He stated he included Washington's slugger because every team needs a representative.
"The problem with the NL is I ended up with nobody from the Rockies, Cardinals or Marlins in my first cut, and generously included Wood as the third outfielder only to give the Nationals a representative," Schoenfield wrote.
James Wood Projected to Have Almost Identical Season in 2026
There's no doubt Wood earned his way onto the 2025 All-Star team after he blasted 24 home runs and had 69 RBIs in the first half. But he was a much different player after the break when he hit just seven longballs and had 25 RBIs.
It's hard to predict how Wood is going to perform in the first half compared to what he did last season. But it is notable that FanGraphs' ZiPS projection system has the slugger finishing with almost identical numbers in 2026 compared to what he did in 2025.
Because there are so many high-end outfielders in the National League, being named an All-Star is going to be difficult for anyone. But like Schoenfield stated in his article, Wood has an advantage because the Nationals need at least one representative and there isn't a clear-cut better option than him on the roster.
Making the All-Star Game in consecutive years would be huge for both Wood and Washington since that would mean they seriously have a rising superstar as a franchise cornerstone. However, the ideal thing would be for the youngster to perform the way he did in the first half once again so he earns his spot instead of only being there because the Nationals need a player in the Midsummer Classic.
Brad Wakai graduated from Penn State University with a degree in Journalism. While an undergrad, he worked at the student radio station covering different Penn State athletic programs like football, basketball, volleyball, soccer and other sports. Brad became the Lead Contributor for Nittany Lions Wire of Gannett Media where he continued to cover Penn State athletics. Currently, Brad is the Publisher for Washington Nationals On SI and covers multiple teams across the On SI network. He is the host of the sports podcast I Said What I Said, where he and his co-host discuss topics across the NFL, College Football, the NBA and other sports. You can follow him on Twitter: @bwakai