Wood/Crews Debuts

[varoadking]

This OD lineup could win as many if not more games than anything else we can field:

1. Abrams - SS
2. Thomas - RF
3. Crews - CF
4. Wood - LF
5. Adams - DH
6. Ruiz - C
7. House - 3B
8. YoYo - 1B
9. Lipscomb - 2B

Bench: Young, Vargas, Milas, Baker, Alu

Rotation: Gray, Gore, Rutledge, Irvin, Davies

You've a position player that will be the odd man out in order to field 13 pitchers...which I would think dave would want to do.

But with him, who really knows...not sure he can count that high anyway...

[NatsAllThe Way]

I get the feeling you don't like the coach 

[GataNats]

House is the guy that needs to be unleashed first.  Love his arm at third as well

[varoadking]

I get the feeling you don't like the coach 

You know me well... 

Actually, I think dave is a likeable enough fella...and he doesn't rock the boat, so Rizzo and Mini Me are comfortable with him.  But I also think he's dumb as a box of rocks. 

Now that the Lerners aren't sellers...or are they really...they may be more inclined to get someone more capable of making them look less like cheap losers.  Or not...

I've had my fill of dave since the day they hired him.  As I've said before...I had as much to do with the Nats winning the World Series as he did.  That would be nothing...

[IanRubbish]

Actually, I think dave is a likeable enough fella...and he doesn't rock the boat, so Rizzo and Mini Me are comfortable with him.

Which is why he's still here.  He plays favorites a lot with coaches and certain players, none worse than Hickey, but makes sure well paid guys get the playing time Mini Me wants them to have.

We can win with Davey, as we did in '19, but a thoughtful manager with ideas of his own, and who actually adds to the team, will never work here.

[aspenbubba]

Crews isn’t posting until Sept if at all.

[varoadking]

Crews isn’t posting until Sept if at all.

Agreed...he's nothing special.  Yet, anyway...

[Senatorswin]

In the past I didn't think Davey was a good manager even though he won a World Series. He probably hasn't gotten enough credit for the job he did in 2019 though. I changed my opinion this last year with the rule changes though. I remember a game I went to in 2022 where the Phillies were stealing bases at will and the Nats weren't even throwing down most of the time. This past year Davey took advantage of the new rules and ran whenever he could he ran even though he didn't have a bunch of speed guys.

[imref]

Congrats to Nasim Nuñez whose debut yesterday got overshadowed by Lipscomb.

[aspenbubba]

Congrats to Nasim Nuñez whose debut yesterday got overshadowed by Lipscomb.

And well it should. Nunez is another Jeter Downs and is just taking up a roster space until Senzel returns or Lipscomb is sent down.

[CoryTheFormerExposFan]

The way Wood is hitting and the improved plate discipline following a great Spring where he got a lot of run…I think we could see him in May. 

He surely will struggle some, but I don’t think he will be completely overmatched.  Let’s get him up and give this organization a much-needed jolt along with CJ’s continued development into a young star.

[IanRubbish]

And well it should. Nunez is another Jeter Downs and is just taking up a roster space until Senzel returns or Lipscomb is sent down.

Rizzo likes to do this roll the dice and pray with Rule 5's.  It never works.   They need to send Nunez back to the Marlins. 

[CoryTheFormerExposFan]

Wood is beating down the door.  Let’s bring a jolt of excitement for this franchise.  Give the fans another young star along with CJ to go see.

[JCA-CrystalCity]

It's just 2 weeks in AAA. It's like making Tyler O'Neill AL MVP. Let's see him keep it up for a couple months. We can get our joy after memorial day.

[CoryTheFormerExposFan]

It's just 2 weeks in AAA. It's like making Tyler O'Neill AL MVP. Let's see him keep it up for a couple months. We can get our joy after memorial day.

A couple months?!  I’m not saying bring him up today, but if he’s still showing the plate discipline into May, what are we waiting for?  The extra year of control will already have been achieved.  Do we need to see more of Winker and Rosario in LF? 

[GataNats]

Rosario getting playing time is an absolute joke

[Senatorswin]

Everybody wanted Jackson Holiday to be called up now and he is so far being overmatched. He's been up 11 times and has struck out 7 of them with still no hit. I agree if Wood is still smoking in mid-May they should bring him up but not before that.

[Smithian]

Rosario getting playing time is an absolute joke

I'd rather a player on the right side of 30, like Alex Call or Jake Alu, in his roster spot, but it isn't like he is holding anyone key back. The James Wood timeline isn't being affected by Rosario or Winker.

[IanRubbish]

Everybody wanted Jackson Holiday to be called up now and he is so far being overmatched. He's been up 11 times and has struck out 7 of them with still no hit. I agree if Wood is still smoking in mid-May they should bring him up but not before that.

It's incredibly rare to get called up and have the player hit like he did in AA/AAA.   Wyatt Langford's been struggling all year as well.   The issue is getting that adjustment slump out of their system.

[JCA-CrystalCity]

It's incredibly rare to get called up and have the player hit like he did in AA/AAA.   Wyatt Langford's been struggling all year as well.   The issue is getting that adjustment slump out of their system.

I would like to see him maintain <20% strike out rate in AAA in part because it will be higher in the majors, especially after that slump / adjustment.

[CoryTheFormerExposFan]

Everybody wanted Jackson Holiday to be called up now and he is so far being overmatched. He's been up 11 times and has struck out 7 of them with still no hit. I agree if Wood is still smoking in mid-May they should bring him up but not before that.

Holiday has the pressure of performing for a team expecting to make the Playoffs and potentially win a World Series.  Wood probably will have some struggles, either at first or after pitchers get the book on him.  Let him work through it.  If he goes another 3-4 weeks dominating AAA and keeping his K rate down, there’s nothing left to gain in AAA.  If the Nats are actually going to try and contend for a Wild Card in 2025 or 2026, we need to let guys like Wood work through the growing pains.

[nobleisthyname]

I would like to see him maintain <20% strike out rate in AAA in part because it will be higher in the majors, especially after that slump / adjustment.

I'd be fine with <30%. Aaron Judge had a 26% strike out rate in AAA before his call-up. There will always be a similarly high level of strikeouts in Wood's game I think.

[JCA-CrystalCity]

In the Farm forum, I added a poll on when you think Wood should be called up. Certainly closer than Crews now.

Check the Farm out, especially for some of the "Follow the Prospect" recent threads for info on guys making an impression.

[imref]

Wood, Crews, and House go yard tonight.

[imref]

https://defector.com/please-give-us-james-wood-now-before-joey-gallos-shoulder-un-kerplodes