Even following a disappointing 3-1 loss in the series finale against the Arizona Diamondbacks on Sunday afternoon, there is a ton of reason for optimism given the way the Washington Nationals finished May with their first winning record in a month since August of 2023. The Nationals have won 10 of their last 14 games dating back to their sweep of the Baltimore Orioles, and it has been in large part due to one man in particular.
That man, as you may have noticed from the headline, is James Wood, who is truly blossoming into a superstar for the Nationals here in 2025. So far this season, he has a .288/.384/.572 slash line, which is good for a .956 OPS and 169 OPS+ to go along with 16 homers, 44 RBIs, and 9 stolen bases as well. His defense has improved throughout the season, helping him already be worth 2.6 WAR, and he is a threat to hit one over the fence every time he steps up to the plate.
Now, let's talk about the chances that he could actually bring home some major hardware. At this point, he should be a near lock to bring home a Silver Slugger Award at the minimum if he can somewhat sustain his projected pace, and a first All-Star selection in July seems likely as well. However, what are the chances he could unseat some of the big names in the National League to bring home the NL MVP?
Honestly, I don't think it's as far-fetched as it might seem. While the obvious favorite, Shohei Ohtani, is doing exactly what he does, already racking up 3.2 WAR for the best team in the league, the Los Angeles Dodgers, he is not the only potential candidate that could bring home NL MVP in 2025. His teammate, Freddie Freeman, has been worth 2.8 WAR while being as steady as ever, and could push Ohtani for the award as well.
Among other names, Pete Crow-Armstrong has been fantastic for the Chicago Cubs so far this season, and the Nationals will get a good look at him in DC this week when the Cubs come to town. He has been worth 3.3 WAR already in part due to his stellar defense, and another guy who has been fantastic that the Nationals just saw is Corbin Carroll of the Diamondbacks, who has been worth 2.7 WAR as well.
While WAR isn't everything, it's usually a pretty telling stat when it comes to predicting who will take home the MVP award at the end of the season. Given that the Nationals have stayed pretty competitive despite some ups and downs this season is in large part due to Wood's steadiness, as he basically does something every single night that shows up in the box score and can be pointed to as to why the Nationals had success.
This season he's had tons of clutch hits and homers, and has even put up numbers that are comparable to a couple of generational former Nationals in Bryce Harper and Juan Soto to begin their careers. You might remember Harper's unreal 2015 NL MVP campaign that saw him finish with 9.9 WAR, and Soto's runner-up finish during the COVID-shortened season in 2020.
If somehow the Nationals were to hover around the Wild Card picture, and perhaps even entice the front office to do a little bit of buying for the future while also selling off expiring deals, it would only help Wood's case. The Nationals were expected to be bottom-dwellers in the NL, and despite what Ken Rosenthal might think about the future of the organization, they are doing quite alright for the moment.
While I would love to sit here and tell everyone that I believe Wood can bring home the award, the reality is that I don't quite think it will happen this year, but perhaps 2026 would make more sense to truly push the campaign. The Nationals figure to hopefully open the checkbook this offseason, at least according to Mark Lerner, given how well the young talent has performed, as they are proving everyday that investments should be made to help them take that next step.
Getting Wood some legitimate protection in the lineup next year would only give him more opportunities to see more competitive pitches, and of course you would hope that the Nationals are firmly in the playoff mix next year as well. Suddenly, those people that said Wood could be the best player in the NL East this season look very smart right now.
I won't be one to say that Wood can't get it done in 2025, as I have yet to truly be surprised by anything he's done given how high I was on him. If anyone can pull off this incredible feat, it's Wood, and I can't wait to see what he does from here on out.
Do you think James Wood can win the NL MVP in 2025? As always, please let me know on X, @DCBerk.