James Wood was born in Rockville, Maryland, on September 17, 2002. He played high school baseball at IMG Academy in Bradenton, FL. He was the first-ranked outfielder and the first-ranked overall player in Maryland.
In his junior year, in nine games, Wood hit .348 with eight hits, two doubles, two triples, one home run, five RBI, and eight runs scored. In his senior year, he played 25 games and hit .258 with 16 hits, four doubles, one triple, three home runs, 26 RBI, and 30 runs scored. He finishes his high school career hitting .282 with 24 hits, six doubles, three triples, four home runs, 31 RBI, and 38 runs scored. He also appeared, pitching one inning and not giving up a hit or a run.
Wood was ranked the top outfielder in the country and the sixth-ranked overall player. He committed to play college baseball at Mississippi State University.
When Was James Wood Drafted?
Wood entered the 2021 draft as the 44th-ranked player and would end up being drafted in the second round by the San Diego Padres, where he signed his contract instead of going to Mississippi State.
James Wood Professional Baseball Tenure
2021
After being drafted, Wood played for the Padres rookie ball team, where he played in 26 games and slashed .372/.465/.535 with a 1.000 OPS; he had five doubles, three home runs, 22 RBI, 18 runs scored, ten stolen bases, and 13 walks.
2022
Wood played for the Padres’ rookie ball team and their Single-A affiliate, Lake Elsinore before being included in a package that allowed the Padres to acquire Juan Soto from the Washington Nationals. With the Nationals, he played for their Single-A affiliate Fredericksburg. He slashed .313/.420/.536 with a .956 OPS; he had 27 doubles, one triple, 12 home runs, 62 RBI, 70 runs scored, 20 stolen bases, and 50 walks. With Fredericksburg after the trade, he played in 21 games and slashed .293/.366/.463 with a .829 OPS; he had eight doubles, two home runs, 17 RBI, 14 runs scored, four stolen bases, and ten walks.
2023
Wood was ranked as the 11th prospect by Baseball American and 17th by MLB.com entering the season. He played for High-A Wilmington and Double-A Harrisburg, playing in 129 total games and slashed .262/.353/.520 with a .874 OPS; he had 28 doubles, eight triples, 26 home runs, 91 RBI, 80 runs scored, 18 stolen bases, and 65 walks. He also played in the futures game, going 0-1 with a walk.
Future
ITD ranks Wood as the 12th-ranked overall prospect in all of baseball entering 2024 and the Nationals number two prospect. He will likely start the season in Double-A or Triple-A but is expected to debut with Washington in 2024.
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