NEW YORK – Sitting on a gray couch in the Citi Field visitor’s clubhouse, James Wood studied a 64-square checkerboard.
This was the 23-year-old outfielder’s second game of chess of the afternoon. Moments before, Wood had just said the magic word — checkmate — to shortstop CJ Abrams, defeating his Washington Nationals teammate before moving on to his next victim. Wood was looking for another win against another teammate, hours before the real competition on the field.
It was a somewhat intense battle of minds. Wood was leaning forward, focused on the board and ignoring the outside world. The clubhouse was mostly quiet, besides some soft music playing from a floor speaker placed on one side of the room. Abrams sat next to Wood, silently playing Sudoku on a printed sheet of paper.
(Photo by Rob Tringali/MLB Photos via Getty Images)
All of this might seem boring, but playing chess is an essential challenge for Wood. Embracing obstacles as part of his daily routine is how the young power hitter likes to begin his game days.
“It’s just more competition,” Wood told me on the field during batting practice Tuesday. “Just trying to break the cycle, have some fun. It’s a different way of thinking.”
Wood, a gentle giant at 6-foot-7, is a man of few words. While the third-year big leaguer is a low-key guy, his bat is one of the loudest in the major leagues.
(Photo by G Fiume/Getty Images)
He enters Wednesday tied for the National League lead in home runs with 10. He leads the NL in walks with 29. Not only that, but he ranks ninth among all MLB hitters with a .953 OPS. Across the board, these are all career-best numbers for Wood, who is fast emerging as a bonafide star in the league.
Wood is hitting the ball harder than everyone. His 97 mph average exit velocity is tied with Athletics first baseman Nick Kurtz for the best in MLB. Wood’s 116.3 maximum exit velocity is tied with Yankees slugger Giancarlo Stanton for fifth-best among all hitters. It’s an eye-popping number that’s faster than reigning MVP’s Aaron Judge and Shohei Ohtani.
“Honestly, what is most impressive about [Wood] is how briskly he freaking hits the ball,” Nationals basic supervisor Paul Toboni informed me at Citi Discipline on Tuesday. “He is sort of a unicorn in that respect.”
Wooden is coming off his first-career All-Star season in 2025, which was additionally his first full major-league season. To comply with that up, he hasn’t wasted any time displaying off his uncooked energy and top-tier bat velocity by the primary month of motion. He’s serving to a rebuilding Nationals workforce keep afloat in a tricky NL East. Washington (13-17) is neck-and-neck with the Miami Marlins, combating for second place within the division.
With Wooden driving the workforce’s offense, the Nationals are ranked fourth in MLB in runs scored, behind solely the Braves, Dodgers, and Cubs. It’s obvious why Wooden, who’s underneath workforce management by 2030, is the centerpiece of the membership’s long-term plans.
Earlier this month, Wooden received his first NL Participant of the Week honor after batting .545 (12-for-22) with three house runs, three doubles, eight RBI, eight runs scored, six walks and two stolen bases amid a six-game hitting streak. He posted a .655 on-base share, a 1.091 slugging share and a 1.746 OPS in that stretch. Wooden’s elite dominance is popping heads across the league.
However, ask him about his scorching begin to the season and his rising standing as a big-league star, and he doesn’t suppose something of it.
“It is sort of only a title,” Wooden mentioned. “I simply attempt to be myself. And if that is how folks see me, that is nice. However, if not, I am simply going to be myself regardless.”
Wooden’s capacity to be so grounded at such a younger age has stood out to folks within the Nationals group. Regardless that he’s solely 23, he carries himself like a veteran chief who understands what it takes to provide on the highest stage. However none of this occurred in a single day for Wooden. Regardless that he’s at all times been wonderful at staying down-to-earth, he’s needed to work on remaining disciplined.
Final 12 months, in his first full-season within the majors, Wooden discovered it considerably troublesome to remain locked in over the course of the lengthy, 162-game schedule. After posting a .903 OPS in April, 1.014 in Might, and .897 in June, Wooden’s manufacturing dropped to a .564 OPS in July, .724 in August, and .785 in September. Younger hitters usually battle with focus over the prolonged season, coping with psychological fatigue, a build-up of the bodily grind, and inexperience with day by day changes.
After I requested him if he’s feeling extra assured on the plate this 12 months, Wooden mentioned: “It’s the identical as final 12 months. I simply gotta discover a approach to convey it each day.”
This season, Wooden has tried to give attention to discovering a brand new problem each day, whether or not that’s in-game or within the locker room, like taking part in chess along with his teammates. Wooden has discovered that “baseball has its personal means of retaining issues fascinating.” Now, in his second full-season within the massive leagues, with almost 1,200 plate appearances underneath his belt, Wooden has a greater thought of what to anticipate. The sport has slowed down for him, and he’s extra comfy.
“The sky is the restrict for this man,” Toboni mentioned. “And I simply suppose it is as much as us, and the teaching workers, to proceed to seek out methods to problem him, as a result of being good and having a boring routine — and being good at that boring routine — oftentimes is admittedly vital. And James, I feel, is admittedly good at proudly owning that. The season’s actually lengthy. And staying disciplined all through the course of the season, I feel, is admittedly vital to James.”
(Photograph by Jess Rapfogel/Getty Photos)
Wooden’s relationship with self-discipline additionally extends to the batter’s field.
His 221 strikeouts led the majors final season, and he’s as soon as once more pacing the league with 46 whiffs by 30 video games this 12 months. Hanging out so continuously is the principle purpose his manufacturing plummeted within the second half of final 12 months. The Nationals wish to see him lower down on his strikeouts, which might result in a extra constant offensive output.
Nonetheless, Toboni has been impressed by the consistency of Wooden’s at-bats thus far this season. Even when the results of his plate look is an out, the standard of his at-bats has improved, Toboni mentioned. In comparison with final 12 months, Wooden is seeing barely extra pitches per plate look this season, and his strikeout share can be marginally diminished. Probably the most encouraging enchancment for Wooden is the bounce in his stroll charge, escalating from 12.3% final 12 months to twenty% this 12 months.
Nonetheless, Wooden must ameliorate his defensive limitations after posting a -7 OAA (Outs Above Common) in left subject final season. However look intently, and he’s making strides along with his glove this 12 months. Earlier this month in opposition to the Cardinals, Wooden made a leaping catch in proper subject to take a house run away from Norman Gorman. Wooden’s OAA has improved to -3 thus far this season.
“He’d most likely kill me if he heard me say this,” Toboni mentioned, laughing. “However while you watch him, you do not actually suppose he is shifting as a result of his limbs are so lengthy. He is 6-7. However he is shifting. I do know there are benefits to having actually lengthy arms and having the ability to attain for balls that different gamers aren’t capable of.”
(Photograph by Rob Tringali/MLB Pictures through Getty Photos)
It’s really easy to miss how younger Wooden nonetheless is, notably given the elite firm he’s retaining on the plate and, in fact, his mature disposition. Loads of younger gamers spend their free time scrolling on their telephones or overworking themselves within the batting cage. However Wooden? He’s watching rooks, bishops and knights.
Constructing a routine and slowing issues down has helped Wooden block out the noise, even when that spotlight is constructive. Regardless that his identify is being talked about increasingly, along with his highlights routinely popping up on MLB Community, Wooden doesn’t view himself as a budding famous person. That is not a nasty factor.
The younger Nationals phenom will be reserved off the sphere, so long as he stays ruthless on the plate.
“I do not suppose I ever doubted I might be right here,” Wooden mentioned. “Nevertheless it’s cool to be right here and simply take it in each day. I am simply tremendous grateful to be the place I am at. So I am taking in the future at a time.”
“From The Dugout” is the place we offer an insider’s view on the largest and greatest storylines surrounding MLB’s high gamers and groups.
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Deesha Thosar covers Main League Baseball as a reporter and columnist for FOX Sports activities. She beforehand lined the Mets as a beat reporter for the New York Each day Information. The daughter of Indian immigrants, Deesha grew up on Lengthy Island and now lives in Queens. Comply with her on Twitter at @DeeshaThosar.
