Taking a look at the next Nationals superstar, James Wood
James Wood is the crown jewel of the Nationals rebuild. He has the potential to be one of the best hitters in baseball. His combination of size, power, and plate discipline is a sight to behold. While he had an impressive rookie season, the 22 year old is still scratching the surface of his abilities.
James Wood is already a good hitter. He posted a 120 wRC+, and had a solid .781 OPS. However, there is still so much obvious room for improvement for Wood. He only hit 9 home runs in about half a season of action. For a guy with 80 grade raw power, that is a total that can and will improve.
He has all the raw power in the world, but his batted ball profile is suboptimal. It is tough to hit a lot of home runs when you hit the ball on the ground 55.6% of the time. If Wood can get the ball in the air more often, he can unlock his full potential. Wood has all the raw power, and the advanced approach to hit 40 plus home runs. He just needs to get the ball in the air more.
It would also help Wood if he pulled the ball in the air more often. Out of his nine home runs, seven of them went to the opposite field. Obviously hitting opposite field home runs is not a bad thing, and it is a useful club to have in the bag, but the easiest way to hit a homer is by pulling it. It is something he needs to do to unlock his full power potential.
Despite these pretty significant flaws, Wood is already a very good hitter. It makes you water at the mouth to think about what is to come. He hits the ball just about as hard as anyone in the league, and has a fantastic understanding of the strike zone. That is a combination that is reserved only for the best of the best. In a year or two, James Wood could have a seat at that table.
Defensively, Wood is still a work in progress. Despite breathtaking speed for his size, Wood struggled in left field, a position he had rarely played before he got to the big leagues. He posted -6 outs above average, and looked quite clunky in his first taste of MLB action. Wood can develop into an average defender, but the bat will always be the star of the show.
James Wood is the only National with truly elite offensive upside. With some refinement, Wood can be a perennial Silver Slugger winner. James Wood is a very good hitter who is just scratching the surface of his upside.