In a recent article written by David Adler over on MLB.com, he listed 1 dark horse candidate in each division to potentially emerge as the best player out of that group of teams. To my surprise as I read through this article, Adler made a shocking prediction that should certainly be a very welcome sight for Washington Nationals fans everywhere.
Adler chose 1 player for each division, and some of his picks were quite bold, including Jackson Holliday for the AL East, where he will have to compete with guys like Aaron Judge and Vladimir Guerrero Jr., among others. Holliday, the older brother of potential future National Ethan Holliday, struggled for a lot of his rookie season, but was the #1 prospect in baseball just a short time ago. Wyatt Langford, who went 1 pick after Dylan Crews in the 2023 draft to the Texas Rangers, was chosen for his division, where he will have to compete with some very legitimate talent as well such as Mike Trout, Corey Seager, Yordan Alvarez, and a slew of Seattle Mariners pitchers as well.
But for the NL East, he chose Nationals outfielder James Wood, and if he was to somehow emerge as the best player in the division, he could truly be known as a generational player, and one that could cement him as the true face of the Washington Nationals organization for years to come.
Keep in mind, Wood will be competing with a ton of tremendous players in the division such as Bryce Harper, Trea Turner, Zack Wheeler, Ronald Acuña Jr., and of course the newest New York Met, Juan Soto. If Wood was able to become a better all around player than that crop that includes the richest man in the sport, a couple former MVP's, a few perennial All-Stars, and a Cy Young winner, it would be no small feat in itself.
Now, do I think Wood can do it? If he is everything that I think he can be, then yes, although it might not be in 2025. I do expect Wood to take a major step forward this year, given how good he looked last year upon receiving his call-up to the majors. In case you do not remember just how good he was, in 2024, he posted a .264/.354/.427 slash line for a .781 OPS to go along with 9 homers, 41 RBIs, and 14 stolen bases. Of course, with any young player, there is always room for improvement, as his defense was subpar, accounting for -6 OAA in left field according to FanGraphs, and he was caught 8 times in 22 tries on the basepaths.
As Adler states, "The key for Wood in 2025 is probably being a little more aggressive at the plate -- he's got a fast bat and big power, but he had one of the lowest swing rates in baseball as a rookie. If he lets it rip this season, he'll mash a bunch of homers, and he'll get the hits he needs to make a difference with his speed on the bases, too." which I believe would be key to allow him to take that big step forward this year.
Often times last year it seemed that Wood was a little bit too selective during his at-bats, as it appeared that he would often have no intention on swinging at the first pitch, and would quickly find himself in early holes that he would have to battle out of. Granted, given his incredible approach, he made it work many times, but with his power and speed on the basepaths I think that being more aggressive and swinging earlier in the count could result in a dramatic rise in his overall numbers. The bottom line is, I am buying ALL of the James Wood stock in 2025 and beyond, and I suggest you do as well.
Do you think James Wood can become the best player in the NL East? As always, please let me know on X, @DCBerk.