Author Topic: Follow the Prospects: James Wood, OF  (Read 15749 times)

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Offline DCsOwn

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Re: Follow the Prospects: James Wood, OF
« Reply #125: April 30, 2023, 11:53:03 AM »
https://twitter.com/nats_playerdev/status/1652691146655649796?s=46&t=Q_qc3R_qyMHAAFvlywNqzQ

A different angle on the homer.

The kid is quite talented man lol

Online JCA-CrystalCity

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Re: Follow the Prospects: James Wood, OF
« Reply #126: April 30, 2023, 02:50:49 PM »
Wood has struck out 19 times in 67 plate appearances. 28 percent K rate.  Not great but better than Green.  Not a lot of power. Just one HR.  I think he will need the whole season in A ball. And hopefully Double A next year.  No rush.
How about Dominic Brown!  He had a good month and made an all star game.

Poor Wood. If he does not dominate in A ball the same experts who pumped him up will be lowering expectations. And they are never wrong! 

Let the kid progress at his pace and don’t worry about comps. The height is no issue other than maybe the long swing.  Saying someone cannot play OF because too tall is just dumb.
I think you are unreasonably harsh on the kid. He's having a very nice season - .297 / .342 / .531. 9 XBH among 9  hits. That's not hollow.  The BB/K is not good, and his overall performance is a step back from his A ball season with SD, but he's performing in A+ at age 20.  I don't think it is reasonable to expect him to be up much before turning 22, at the earliest, but there's little evidence of him being overhyped. And the speed is as lethal as the power.

Online Natsinpwc

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Re: Follow the Prospects: James Wood, OF
« Reply #127: April 30, 2023, 03:00:49 PM »
Probably. I am trying to express some healthy skepticism and tamper down the expectations. Some folks here seem to think he will be MLB in 2024. Has a way to go. 

Offline imref

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Re: Follow the Prospects: James Wood, OF
« Reply #128: May 07, 2023, 05:15:34 PM »
3rd homer today in Wilmington's 16 run hit parade. 1-4, 2BBs, 3Ks

Offline DCsOwn

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Offline imref

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Re: Follow the Prospects: James Wood, OF
« Reply #130: May 10, 2023, 09:12:36 PM »
4th.


Offline imref

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Re: Follow the Prospects: James Wood, OF
« Reply #132: May 11, 2023, 02:18:16 PM »
Video evidence

https://twitter.com/nats_playerdev/status/1656724162281439233?s=46&t=Q_qc3R_qyMHAAFvlywNqzQ

this was nice to see as well:

Quote
@jwood_29
’s last 6 games:
 
.304 (7-for-23)
.385 OBP (3 BB)
.696 SLG (2B, 3B, 2 HR)
8 RBI

Sounds like there's a decent chance we see him in Harrisburg at some point this year.

Online Natsinpwc

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Re: Follow the Prospects: James Wood, OF
« Reply #133: May 11, 2023, 02:29:32 PM »
Whoa Nelly.

Offline welch

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Re: Follow the Prospects: James Wood, OF
« Reply #134: May 11, 2023, 03:08:58 PM »
Whoa Nelly.

Just don't chew tobacco like Nellie Fox. Died in his 40s of throat cancer.

Online Natsinpwc

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Re: Follow the Prospects: James Wood, OF
« Reply #135: May 11, 2023, 03:23:24 PM »
Just don't chew tobacco like Nellie Fox. Died in his 40s of throat cancer.
For sure. I don’t smoke.  Or chew. Not even a pinch between the cheek and gum.


Offline DCsOwn

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Re: Follow the Prospects: James Wood, OF
« Reply #137: May 14, 2023, 10:36:49 PM »
https://twitter.com/mlbpipeline/status/1657931165104324611?s=46&t=Q_qc3R_qyMHAAFvlywNqzQ

Wood up to 8 on the revised midseason list from MLB Pipeline

Online Smithian

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Offline DCsOwn

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Re: Follow the Prospects: James Wood, OF
« Reply #139: May 15, 2023, 10:01:49 AM »
Underrated!

Excellent context added about Wood’s performance this season. Viewed through this prism, Wood is having an even more impressive season than you’d think at first glance.


https://twitter.com/mrirrelevantdc/status/1658100368906100739?s=46&t=Q_qc3R_qyMHAAFvlywNqzQ


Online Natsinpwc

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Re: Follow the Prospects: James Wood, OF
« Reply #141: May 17, 2023, 11:54:54 AM »
Catches ball in CF and then drops ball on transfer trying to throw guy out at 3B. Umpire inexplicably calls the batter safe.  Even the Jersey Shore announcers were baffled by the call. Did not let it bother him and singled to lead off the next inning.


Offline imref

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Online Natsinpwc

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Re: Follow the Prospects: James Wood, OF
« Reply #144: May 24, 2023, 05:17:51 PM »
3-5 today.  HR and double.


Offline imref

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Re: Follow the Prospects: James Wood, OF
« Reply #146: May 25, 2023, 10:07:05 PM »
I’d rather see wood than Dickerson or Call

Offline welch

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Online JCA-CrystalCity

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Re: Follow the Prospects: James Wood, OF
« Reply #148: May 26, 2023, 04:09:19 PM »
dougherty profile, "The outsized world of James Wood:  The Washington Nationals’ top prospect is a 6-foot-6 outfielder carrying massive expectations."  mostly anecdotes about some of his feats and the doubts about him due to his size and apparently effortless speed
https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2023/05/25/james-wood-size-nationals-prospect/

Quote
And then there was an afternoon workout in Fredericksburg, Va., last summer. The teenager was James Wood, now the Washington Nationals’ top prospect, the player the San Diego Padres didn’t want to trade for Juan Soto but had to in the end. Over and over, he glided through the gaps and caught balls intended for his teammates. De Jon Watson, the Nationals’ director of player development, pulled Wood aside, asking him to let the right and left fielders get some work, too.

talks about the time his junior year his coach, manny upton, brought him a yankees angels game to see other big players.

Quote
Manny Upton, father of major leaguers B.J. and Justin Upton, had coached Wood and thought it would be good for him to see super tall players in person. And since Justin’s Angels were playing the Yankees, Manny got Wood and Kenny on the field, where Marcus Thames, the Yankees’ hitting coach and a Mississippi native, noticed Wood’s shirt and told Judge to walk over.

“Hi, I’m Aaron,” Wood remembered Judge saying, hand extended, as if Wood didn’t know his favorite player’s name. Judge asked whether he played basketball or football. Wood quietly told him no, he was ready to focus solely on becoming a professional outfielder. So Judge waved him past the ropes and spoke with him for 10 minutes, letting him stand on major league grass for the first time.

Judge is a 6-7 outfielder and broke the American League’s single-season home run record in 2022. Stanton, Judge’s teammate, is 6-6 like Wood. Throughout baseball history, there are many pitchers who stood that tall and way, way fewer position players.

also talks about his slump in 2020 his senior year at img


Offline welch

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Re: Follow the Prospects: James Wood, OF
« Reply #149: May 26, 2023, 05:30:45 PM »
“Hi, I’m Aaron”. That says a lot.