James Wood
Washington Nationals
Outfielder
Born: (2002-09-17) September 17, 2002
Rockville, Maryland, U.S.
Bats: Left
Throws: Right

James Irvin Wood (born September 17, 2002) is an American professional baseball outfielder in the Washington Nationals organization.

Early life and amateur career

Wood grew up in Olney, Maryland and initially attended school in DC where he played baseball and basketball. He transferred to IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida, after his sophomore season, giving up basketball in order to focus solely on baseball.[1][2] He committed to play college baseball at Mississippi State shortly before transferring to IMG.[3] After a strong performance while playing in the 2020 Area Code Games, Wood entered his senior year as a top prospect in the 2021 MLB Draft.[4][5] Wood batted .258 as a senior, causing him to fall slightly in most draft prospect rankings.[6]

Professional career

Wood was selected with the 62nd overall pick in the 2021 Major League Baseball draft by the San Diego Padres.[7][8] He signed with the team on July 20, 2021, and received a $2.6 million signing bonus.[9] Wood was assigned to the Rookie-level Arizona Complex League Padres to start his professional career, batting .372 with three home runs, 22 RBIs, and ten stolen bases over 26 games.[10] He opened the 2022 season with the Lake Elsinore Storm of the Single-A California League.[11]

On August 2, 2022, Wood, along with C. J. Abrams, Luke Voit, MacKenzie Gore, Robert Hassell, and Jarlín Susana were traded to the Washington Nationals in exchange for Juan Soto and Josh Bell.[12] The Nationals assigned him to the Fredericksburg Nationals of the Single-A Carolina League.[13] Wood batted .293 with eight doubles, two home runs, and 17 RBIs in 21 games with Fredericksburg.[14] He was assigned to the High-A Wilmington Blue Rocks at the beginning of the 2023 season.[15] Wood was promoted to the Double-A Harrisburg Senators after batting .293 with eight home runs and 36 RBIs in 42 games with Wilmington.[16] He was selected to play in the 2023 All-Star Futures Game.[17]

Personal life

Wood's father, Kenny Wood, played college basketball at Richmond, where he is a member of the school's athletic hall of fame, and professionally in Europe.[18] His sister, Sydney Wood, played college basketball for Northwestern and was a team captain.[19] Wood is the nephew of former NBA player Howard Wood.[20]

References

  1. ↑ Stubbs, Roman (March 19, 2020). "For St. John's baseball team, a requirement to play for coach's private team causes turmoil". Washington Post. Archived from the original on May 27, 2020. Retrieved July 21, 2021.
  2. ↑ "Ball bounces James Wood". Perfect Game. Archived from the original on June 29, 2021. Retrieved July 21, 2021.
  3. ↑ "MSU 2021 commitment James Wood comes from an athletic family". GenesPage.com. Archived from the original on December 18, 2021. Retrieved July 21, 2021.
  4. ↑ "2021 MLB Draft Prospect James Wood Generates Immense Scouting Buzz". Baseball America. August 31, 2020. Archived from the original on July 21, 2021. Retrieved July 21, 2021.
  5. ↑ Callis, Jim (August 12, 2020). "'21 Draft prospects starred at Area Codes". MLB.com. Archived from the original on July 21, 2021. Retrieved July 21, 2021.
  6. ↑ Robertson, Steve (July 12, 2021). "Bulldog signee James Wood selected by Padres". 247Sports.com. Archived from the original on July 12, 2021. Retrieved July 13, 2021.
  7. ↑ "San Diego Padres pick Mississippi State signee James Wood in Round 2 of 2021 MLB Draft". The Clarion-Ledger. July 12, 2021. Archived from the original on December 18, 2021. Retrieved July 13, 2021.
  8. ↑ "Padres' James Wood: Drafted by Padres". CBS Sports. July 12, 2021. Archived from the original on July 13, 2021. Retrieved July 13, 2021.
  9. ↑ "Padres sign second-rounder James Wood for $2.6 million". The San Diego Union-Tribune. July 20, 2021. Archived from the original on July 21, 2021. Retrieved July 21, 2021.
  10. ↑ Sanders, Jeff (July 30, 2021). "Minors: Missions power up; James Wood makes pro debut in Arizona". The San Diego Union-Tribune. Archived from the original on July 30, 2021. Retrieved July 30, 2021.
  11. ↑ "Minors: Where the Padres' top prospects are to start 2022". April 9, 2022.
  12. ↑ Cassavell, AJ (August 2, 2022). "Padres finalize deal with Nats to land Soto, Bell". MLB.com. Retrieved August 2, 2022.
  13. ↑ "Returning home, James Wood makes instant impact with FredNats". The Free Lance–Star. August 9, 2022. Retrieved August 10, 2022.
  14. ↑ Blanco, Bobby (September 27, 2022). "Prospects at instructional league visited Nats in Miami". MASN. Retrieved January 26, 2023.
  15. ↑ Blanco, Bobby (April 14, 2023). "Quiet Wood is secretly the funny leader of talented Wilmington roster". MASN. Retrieved April 14, 2023.
  16. ↑ "Nationals prospect James Wood promoted to Harrisburg Senators". The Washington Post. May 28, 2023. Retrieved June 27, 2023.
  17. ↑ "Former FredNats Wood, House to appear in MLB Futures Game". The Free Lance–Star. June 26, 2023. Retrieved June 27, 2023.
  18. ↑ "James Wood, Son Of East Hampton Basketball Legend Kenny Wood, Makes His Mark On Baseball Diamond". December 9, 2020. Archived from the original on July 21, 2021. Retrieved July 21, 2021.
  19. ↑ "Nationals prospect James Wood challenges baseball's size bias". The Washington Post. May 25, 2023. Retrieved June 29, 2023.
  20. ↑ Lin, Dennis (April 28, 2022). "How James Wood, an outfielder with first-round draft talent, fell to the Padres in the second". The Athletic. Retrieved June 29, 2023.
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