Nationals Star Mired in Ice-Cold Stretch Has Left Offense Stuck in Neutral
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Not much has gone right for the Washington Nationals this season, but one of the bright spots has been the emergence of James Wood.
The highly-touted prospect made his MLB debut on July 1, 2024 and was immediately an everyday player at the highest level, taking over as the team’s starting left fielder.
There were some rough patches in the beginning, which is expected for any young player, let alone someone who debuted at only 21 years of age.
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Once Wood started to find his footing and adjust to Major League pitching, his production quickly rose.
He finished his rookie campaign with a slash line of .264/.354/.427 and an OPS+ of 122. Wood hit nine home runs, 13 doubles and four triples with 41 RBI and 14 stolen bases, showcasing his tantalizing potential.
Just scratching the surface of what he was capable of, Wood entered 2025 with a lot of eyes on him.
People wanted to see what he worked on over the winter and if he would take that next step with his performance.
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He certainly did that, earning a spot on the National League All-Star Team in his first full Major League campaign while also participating in the Home Run Derby.
For most of the season, Wood has been a one-man wrecking crew in the middle of the Nationals batting order. Opposing pitchers have wanted no part of him at points, intentionally walking him and daring others to beat him.
Alas, that has not been the case recently.
Washington has struggled to find any rhythm even after firing manager Dave Martinez, and a big reason for that is the struggles of their superstar slugger.
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On July 3, Wood had a monster game, recording five hits and upping his slash line to .294/.395/.563.
Had the Nationals been more successful on the field, a legitimate case could be made for him to be in the running for the NL MVP Award.
But since that point, Wood has been ice-cold, and the team’s offense has followed suit.
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As shared by Just Baseball, he has played 22 games since that 5-for-5 outing and has gone a ghastly 10-for-84, which is a .119 batting average.
James Wood since his 5-hit game on July 3 (22 games):
— Just Baseball (@JustBB_Media) August 3, 2025
10-for-84 (.119 AVG)
1 HR
41 strikeouts
12 multi-strikeout games
8 3-strikeout games
Man. pic.twitter.com/JIJFChccpg
He has only one home run in that span with an eye-popping 41 strikeouts. On 12 occasions he has struck out multiple times in a single game, going down at least three times on strikes in eight.
Overall, Wood’s numbers on the season are still strong with a .258/.361/.484 slash line and an OPS+ of 139. He has hit 24 home runs with 21 doubles and 71 RBI and 14 stolen bases, but the team needs to find him some protection in the lineup sooner rather than later.
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