James Wood has spent July looking less like a hot hitter and more like a cheat code.
The Nationals star has been absurd for 10 games now, and the line keeps getting louder every time you check it. He’s hitting .441 with a 1.788 OPS this month, and he’s done it while turning pitchers’ game plans into a mess. They’ve tried to work around him, and the walks tell that story: 15 already in July.
That kind of on-base damage is why the month has started to feel Bonds-esque. Wood owns a .612 OBP in July, a number that belongs in the rarest air in the sport.
He’s also done it without piling up strikeouts the way big sluggers usually do. In 49 plate appearances this month, Wood has only five strikeouts.
The weird part - if you can even call it weird anymore - is that the production has come with balance. For a power bat, a 30.6% strikeout rate and 10.2% walk rate would be one thing. But in Wood’s case, those numbers are flipped: his walk rate is 30.6% in July, while his strikeout rate sits at 10.2%.
He’s also been punishing baseballs over the fence. Wood has homered in seven of the 10 games this month, and last week was the kind of stretch that usually wins awards without much debate. He took NL Player of the Week honors after going 10 for 20 with five homers, eight RBI, nine walks and 11 runs scored.
What makes this stretch even more notable is the timing. Wood had a rough June by his standards, and last year around this same point he started to fade badly.
He opened July 3 with a 5-for-5 game against the Tigers, but after that the strikeouts started to stack up and he limped toward the All-Star Break. This year, though, he’s arriving at the break on a completely different level.
Wood is an All-Star for the second straight year, even if he did not start due to the ignorance of the fans. He’s also headed into the break without Home Run Derby duties hanging over him. And on the season, he’s been every bit the centerpiece Washington hoped for.
Through the first half, Wood is hitting .279 with a .410 OBP and a .985 OPS. He has 28 home runs, just three shy of last year’s total, and he’s added 15 steals. His 4.6 fWAR ranks third in all of baseball, and his 89 runs scored are the real eye-opener - 21 more than the second-place player, which is an historic margin at the All-Star Break.
From the leadoff spot, Wood has been doing everything. He’s been the power source, the on-base machine and the stolen-base threat all at once.
A 6’6 behemoth at the top of the order is unusual, but it’s working. He already has 10 leadoff homers this season, and he forces pitchers to show the whole arsenal right away.
Washington has the best offense in baseball, and Wood is the engine behind it. Outside of a couple rough weeks, he’s been remarkably steady. The Nationals bullpen has dragged down the results in July - they’re just 4-6 in these 10 games - but Wood’s individual run has been impossible to ignore.
He’s drawing comparisons that don’t come lightly. Between Bryce Harper and Juan Soto, Washington has seen special left-handed outfielders before, and Wood is being spoken about in that same breath. He’s a local kid, too, which only makes the possibility of him ever leaving feel even harder to stomach.
Luis Garcia Jr. looked like he might have the best month of any National this season, but Wood has blown past that. If he keeps anywhere near this pace, NL Player of the Month should be his.
Right now, James Wood looks like he’s playing on easy mode. The problem for everyone else is that this is the highest level there is. And in July, he’s been a baseball god.
In Other News...
Red Sox Fans Should Think Twice About Francisco Lindor At Deadline
The Red Sox are still sorting through a deadline shopping list that points to catcher, designated hitter and shortstop, but Francisco Lindor is the kind of name that can tempt a front office into moving faster than it should. He has the pedigree, the star power and the kind of long-term contract that usually comes with a franchise centerpiece, yet this season has been uneven enough to make any team pause before paying a premium for the Mets shortstop.
Boston would be better served looking at alternatives who fit the roster and the park more cleanly, with Jeremy Pea standing out as the more practical shortstop target. And if the Red Sox are dreaming even bigger, James Wood is the type of bat that could change a lineup, though his availability depends entirely on where Washington sits in the NL Wild Card race as the deadline approaches. [Read more 🡒]
Nationals Just Locked In A First Round Win Fans Will Love
The Nationals got their first-round business done with Chris Hacopian, locking up the 11th overall pick on a $5.7 million deal that comes in below the slot value attached to that selection. Hacopian brings a polished bat to the organization after starring at Texas A&M and Maryland, and the signing gives Washington a little more flexibility as it works through the rest of its draft class.
Hacopians deal also fits neatly with the clubs broader plan, since the savings can be used to help get other picks signed and keep the class intact. The team even leaned into the personal side of it by posting a signing video at Nationals Park, a nice touch for a player who grew up in the area and has long been a fan of the franchise. [Read more 🡒]
Nationals Suddenly Face A Difficult Dylan Crews Decision
Dylan Crews entered the All-Star break with the kind of uneven stretch that can sharpen the spotlight on a young player in Washington. The former top prospect has shown why the Nationals were so excited about him, but his early major league production has not matched the promise he built in the minors, and the recent series before the break only added to the concern with both his bat and his play in the field.
For a club still trying to balance development with the pressure to win more games, Crews is suddenly at the center of a familiar question: how long do you stay patient, and how much do you ask from a player still learning on the job? The Nationals have made clear they want better communication between the front office, coaching staff and players as they guide that process, and Crews next stretch will go a long way toward showing whether that approach can steady a talented but inconsistent young cornerstone. [Read more 🡒]