Nationals call up top talent James Wood ahead of Mets series

One of MLB’s biggest up-and-coming stars will finally step onto the big stage.

According to several reports, Washington Nationals outfielder James Wood – the third-best prospect in baseball – is set to join the team.

Wood will make his MLB debut on Monday when the Nats begin a four-game series against the red-hot Mets.

In 51 Triple-A games, the 6-foot-4 Wood posted an impressive .346 batting average with a 1.036 OPS and 10 home runs.

The 2021 second-round pick performed at the top of his game in Spring Training, hitting .364 with a .705 slugging average and a 19.3 percent walk rate.

Wood, 21, was one of the key players in the Nationals’ trade for superstar outfielder Juan Soto to San Diego two years ago.

So far, several other notable talents have performed well since leaving for Washington.

Shortstop CJ Abrams has improved in 2024 with 131 weighted Runs Created (100 is the average) and 1.7 Wins Above Replacement, ranking seventh among qualified National League shortstops.

Likewise, left-handed starter Mackenzie Gore had his best year as a professional with a 3.81 ERA and 10.48 strikeouts per nine innings.

At 38-42, the Nationals are in fourth place in the NL East and are 12-12 in June.

Wood should immediately add firepower to a lineup that hasn’t provided much spark this year.

The Nationals are 29th in baseball with 67 home runs, and only Abrams and veteran outfielder Jesse Winker have hit home runs well above average.

The timing of Woods’ call-up will likely determine whether Nats GM Mike Rizzo buys or sells at the July 30 trade deadline.

Despite their record being below .500, the Nationals are only three games away from the final wildcard spot in the highly competitive NL playoffs.

Washington travels to Tampa Bay this weekend for a three-game series before Wood makes his highly anticipated debut on Monday.