Washington Nationals outfielder James Wood went 2-for-3 with a homer and a walk in a 5-2 loss to the Toronto Blue Jays on Monday. Wood launched a solo homer off Bowden Francis in the sixth inning to give him his first round-tripper of the young season. The young outfielder is off to a decent start through four games in 2025, picking up four hits including a homer and a double across 15 at-bats. Wood has elite potential as a power/speed threat in fantasy and could emerge as a top fantasy asset if he breaks out this season.
Washington Nationals outfielder James Wood (quad) is returning to left field on Wednesday afternoon. Wood has only been able to serve as a designated hitter during the early part of spring training due to tendinitis in his quad. However, seeing him cleared to return to the defensive side of the game suggests he should be a full-go by Opening Day. During his first two games of spring training, Wood has held a .33/.429/.333 line with a 1:1 BB:K ratio. The 22-year-old made his MLB debut and held a .264/.354/.427 slash line with nine home runs and 14 stolen bases. He drew walks at a strong 11.6 percent rate with a stellar 52.0 percent hard-hit rate. Earlier in the season at Triple-A, Wood held a .353/.463/.595 line with 16 doubles and 10 home runs. Fantasy managers should expect Wood to have an everyday role in left field and bat near the top of the Washington lineup.
Washington Nationals outfielder James Wood (quadriceps) will serve as the designated hitter in his Grapefruit League debut on Friday versus the division-rival New York Mets, according to manager Dave Martinez. Depending on how Friday's game goes, the Nationals will decide if Wood is ready to play left field after that. Washington is easing the 22-year-old left-handed slugger into action in spring training while he deals with left-quadriceps tendonitis. With Opening Day not until late March, Wood should be fine for the start of the 2025 regular season, barring a setback when he begins playing in games. Going into his first full season in the big leagues, Wood is ranked as RotoBaller's No. 17 fantasy outfielder after he hit .264/.354/.427 with nine home runs, 41 RBI and 14 steals in his first 79 games in 2024. Lack of consistent contact could be an issue, but Wood's power upside makes him a top-25 fantasy outfielder.
Washington Nationals manager Dave Martinez said that if everything goes according to plan, outfielder James Wood (quadriceps) could serve as the designated hitter in a Grapefruit League game on Thursday. The Nationals have held Wood out of Grapefruit League games early in spring training as a precaution due to left-quad tendonitis, but it looks like he'll be making his debut later this week, barring a setback. As of right now, there's no reason to believe the young left-handed slugger won't be ready in plenty of time for Opening Day in late March. The 22-year-old former second-rounder of the San Diego Padres in 2021 made his major-league debut last year and slashed .264/.354/.427 with a .781 OPS, nine home runs, 41 RBI, 14 stolen bases and 43 runs scored in 79 games. Wood's issues making consistent contact could be a problem, but his raw-power upside makes him the No. 17 fantasy outfielder at RotoBaller.
Washington Nationals outfielder James Wood (quad) participated in defensive drills on Sunday. He was held out of Saturday's game due to a left quad issue. He continues taking part in batting practice without any issues. This doesn't like a long term issue, but the Nationals are going to continue being cautious with their star outfielder. The expectation is that Wood should be back on the field at some point this week. Fantasy managers shouldn't be concerned about his availability for Opening Day.
Washington Nationals outfielder James Wood (quadriceps) is not in the starting lineup for their opening spring training game. The former top prospect has been dealing with left quad tendinitis throughout the week and will be given additional time to recover. Fantasy managers should continue monitoring his status but should not be overly concerned as he has ample time to prepare for Opening Day. Wood made his MLB debut on July 1 and remained in the majors until the end of the season. Across 79 games, the 22-year-old posted a .264/.354/.427 line with nine home runs and 14 stolen bases. He generated an elite 52.0 percent hard-hit rate and a 10.6 percent barrel rate. When cleared for action, he should have an everyday role in left field.
Washington Nationals manager Dave Martinez said that outfielder James Wood (quadriceps) has left-quadriceps tendinitis at camp. The injury doesn't bother Wood when he hits, so he was able to take batting practice on Tuesday and run the bases, but he didn't take part in outfield drills. The Washington Post's Andrew Golden writes that the team is just being cautious. The 22-year-old rising left-handed slugger might serve as the designated hitter initially in Grapefruit League games, but his injury shouldn't put him in danger of missing Opening Day in late March. The former second-round pick made his big-league debut in 2024 and hit .264/.354/.426 with a .781 OPS, nine home runs, 41 RBI and 14 stolen bases in 79 games. Wood struck out nearly 30% of the time in 2024, but his raw-power upside as an everyday player makes him a top-20 fantasy outfielder entering the 2025 campaign.
Washington Nationals rookie outfielder James Wood went 2-for-4 with a triple and a home run in Saturday's 6-3 win over the Phillies, collecting two RBI and two runs scored in the process. The hits extended the left-handed hitter's current hit streak to six games. The 22-year-old has shown he belongs in the big leagues since being called up at the beginning of July, slashing .269/.360/.434 with nine home runs and 14 stolen bases in 78 games (331 PA) to start his career. Expect the former second-round draft pick to start 2025 with the Nats and he'll likely have a costly ADP with the strong blend of power and speed.
Washington Nationals outfielder James Wood found his bat on Sunday, going 2-for-3 with a pair of solo home runs in a 4-3 win over the Miami Marlins. Wood has been slumping a bit at the plate lately, with a mediocre .250/.308/.333 slash line in September heading into this one. He was able to put that behind him and will hopefully get back on track for the final few weeks of the season. It's been a terrific rookie campaign for the 21-year-old, who has shown he belongs at the big league level without a doubt. He will likely be drafted in the top 75 next season, and his upside warrants that.
Washington Nationals outfielder James Wood went 2-for-4 at the plate with an RBI and a run scored in Wednesday's 5-2 win over the Yankees, but his most impressive feat was that he stole three bases in the contest. The 21-year-old now has 11 steals on the season through 51 games played, and while he's been streaky with the bat, overall he's been solid, slashing .280/.377/.430 with a .355 wOBA and a 130 wRC+. He could be a difference-maker in the fantasy playoffs and is still available in more than 25% of Yahoo leagues. Either way, the Nationals' outlook is bright in the outfield with Wood and Dylan Crews looking like future fantasy superstars.
James Wood
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Nationals
