Woodworking: Top Nats prospect has big weekend

New level, same James Wood.

On May 28, the No. 7 prospect in baseball per MLB Pipeline was promoted to Double-A Harrisburg. That same day, Wood collected his first Eastern League hit and he hasn’t slowed down since.

Wood has slugged three taters in 11 games with the Senators, the most recent coming in the first leg of Harrisburg’s doubleheader on Saturday, when they lost to the Fisher Cats, 6-1.

There wasn’t much offense for Harrisburg in the contest, but with his family in attendance, the top-ranked Nationals prospect was able to leave his mark with a moonshot in the fourth inning.

The outfielder's jack was off 25-year-old right-hander Luis Quinones, and it was absolutely demolished. At FNB Field in Harrisburg Penn., there is a light pole that marks 380 feet in right field. The baseball that Wood hit could have waved on the way by, as it easily flew past the pole and continued carrying onto the road.

That’s the kind of light tower power that the 6-foot-6, 240-pounder already possesses at 20 years old, and he hasn’t even completely filled out.

In the second half of the double dip, Wood picked up where he left off, collecting two more hits, including an RBI double in the first.

Lining up against lefty Jimmy Robbins, Wood smacked a double to left field, scoring infielder Jack Dunn. Three innings later, the IMG Academy product slapped a ground ball into left, plating another run and making the score 7-2, the same score that Harrisburg won by.

Through 11 games in Double-A, Wood has hit for a .267 batting average and touts an .854 OPS, and he’s left his signature stamp on a number of the games.

An example of that stamp came Friday night. In the third game of the team’s series against New Hampshire, they entered the 11th inning tied 3-3. That is, until Wood stepped up to the plate. The 2021 second-round pick drilled a walk-off single to center field driving in fellow Top 100 prospect Robert Hassell III – MLB No. 43.

The laser was one of two hits on a day where he also made a spectacular leaping catch in center field. Wood looked like a wide receiver tracking a Hail Mary pass as he ranged back and stole an extra-base hit away from Fisher Cats first baseman PK Morris.

Wood’s athleticism jumps off the page, giving him very real five-tool potential. If he continues to have success at Double-A and to refine his already advanced approach at the plate, Wood could be the most exciting prospect in baseball soon.