Washington Nationals Slugging Outfielder Picked as April All-Star By MLB Insider
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The Washington Nationals are 14-18 this season, but they could be much better. Their bullpen has let them down multiple times, which is the biggest reason for a lot of their losses.
However, the lineup has been pretty good, especially one young breakout star.
James Wood was called up in 2024 and he quickly made his name known.
The left-handed batter slashed .264/.354/.427 with nine home runs, 41 RBI, 14 stolen bases, 39 walks and 43 runs scored. If he were to play a full season, there is no doubt he would have received some votes for National League Rookie of the Year.
The 22-year-old has been just as good to begin 2025.
In 30 games played, Wood has already matched his home run total from last year. Additionally, he is slashing .250/.362/.533 with 21 RBI, 20 walks and 19 runs scored.
Compared to all primary left fielders with at least 80 plate appearances, Wood is third in both wOBA and wRC+.
This start to the year has placed him as one of the best left fielders in the National League. In fact, Jim Bowden of The Athletic (subscription required) has picked Wood as his April All-Star left fielder.
What has made the former second-round pick so good?
One thing that stands out when it comes to Wood is his discipline at the plate. He is in the 85th percentile in walk rate (14.0%) and 67th percentile in chase rate (24.3%). He rarely gets himself into trouble at the plate, and it has paid off.
Along with that, Wood is in the 90th percentile or better in xwOBA (.400), xSLG (.576), average exit velocity (94.1 mph), barrel percentage (19.0%), hard-hit percentage (54.4%) and bat speed (75.5 mph). The lefty does have some swing and miss in his game, but he makes up for that with his ability to slug and get on base.
There is no doubt the IMG Academy product is a future All-Star. It could absolutely be this year, but the competition for the starting job will be stiff. Ian Happ of the Chicago Cubs and Kyle Stowers of the Miami Marlins are two left fielders having a great start to the season, as well.
If Wood can continue to produce the way he has, though, he is going to not only make the All-Star game, but he will be the starting left fielder for the Midsummer Classic in Atlanta.
Cameron Zunkel is a sports writer from the western suburbs of Chicago. He played Division-II baseball at the University of Illinois at Springfield where he earned a masters degree in Communication. Cameron also played independent league baseball for the Joliet Slammers and Schaumburg Boomers of the Frontier League. He has been in journalism since 2022 and has a passion for baseball specifically, but he enjoys all sports. His other work includes writing sports betting articles for ClutchPoints. In his free time, you can catch Cam at the gym, on the golf course, or coaching the youth in the beautiful sport of baseball.