Who is James Wood?
But Washington Nationals GM Mike Rizzo always knew around which prospects to make the most talked-about trade in baseball’s recent era.
Then what we were all waiting for happened. Hours before this week’s trade deadline, the Nationals sent Soto and Josh Bell to the San Diego Padres in exchange for pitchers MacKenzie Gore and Jarlin Susana, as well as position players Robert Hassell III, C.J. Abrams and James Wood. The latter, identified by minor league experts as “the crown jewel”.
Wood is a 19-year-old, 6″7, left-handed, left-handed outfielder. He will be 20 years old on September 17. He has power and speed.
Currently, despite his young age, MLB ranks him as the 88th best prospect (and third best prospect in San Diego). He was a second-round pick by the Padres in the 2021 draft.
His 10 home runs and 16 stolen bases combined this year between two Padres affiliates set him apart from the rest. So does his .337 batting average in Class A and 40 bases on balls. He has only fanned 49 times. No other prospect involved has as much room for growth as Wood, who is being compared to Aaron Judge and the retired Ryan Howard.
Wood, who attended IMG Academy to concentrate on baseball, also played basketball. Despite the Padres’ second-round pick, they signed him with a $2.6 million bonus, more than double the value.
He comes from a sports family. His father played professional basketball in Europe and his sister is captain of the Northwestern University women’s basketball team. Her most underrated quality is base running. He hit 10 out of 10 in 2021.
The rest of the prospects
On the other hand, Robert Hassel III is, also, a left-handed outfielder with stature (6’2″) and best pure hitter in this transaction. At the Under-18 World Cup, he led the U.S. in almost every offensive category with .514/.548/.886.
Became the first high school player (No. 8 overall) selected in the 2020 Draft, and first Tennessee prep position player selected in the first round since Mike White in 1986. He signed for $4.3 million, according to MLB.com.
He controls the strike zone well. His only question mark is his defensive abilities, which has caused him to always play the corners and not the CF.
Meanwhile, MacKenzie Gore is a pitcher with a lot of projection who debuted this 2022 in the big tent. He has the potential to become one of the team’s main starters. At 23 years old, he has a 4-4 record and a 4.50 ERA.
Susana, meanwhile, was the top pitcher in the 2021-22 class of the international draft. He signed with the Padres for $1,700,000 earlier this year from the Dominican Republic. He’s 6’6″ and his arsenal, especially his straight line, touches triple digits at times.
And lastly, C.J. Abrams, is a bullpen player with a lot of speed who can do a lot of things in the outfield. He already made his major league debut in April and is averaging .232 in 125 at-bats. At 21, the sky is the limit.
The Nationals traded away a one-of-a-kind like Soto, but did their homework by extending their farm for the next Max Scherzer, Trea Turner and Bryce Harper, among others.
GM Rizzo claimed he “did everything” to keep Soto on the team. But there are times when money isn’t everything. who turns down $440 million? Soto.
