Traded together, Abrams, Wood come full circle with All-Star nods for Nats

WASHINGTON -- CJ Abrams and James Wood arrived in Washington, D.C., in August 2022 after headlining the blockbuster trade that sent sluggers Juan Soto and Josh Bell to the Padres.

Now, Abrams and Wood are heading to the 2026 All-Star Game on Tuesday at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia as Nationals.

They will be joined by veteran left-hander Foster Griffin, who was added to the roster on Saturday.

Abrams was named a National League All-Star for the second time in his career, but this will be his first time as the starting shortstop for the NL, as voted by the fans.

"It's amazing,” Abrams said. “The fans have been out [to support us] every game, pretty much. We have been out there, kind of together. They bring the electricity and we've been getting the job done for them. Today didn't go as we wanted, but we are going to keep working."

Meanwhile, Wood makes his second All-Star Game appearance in as many seasons as a reserve in the NL outfield.

"I am super grateful for being able to stay healthy, and just having a good group of teammates and coaches around me helping me play at that level,” Wood said. “It's been recognized, so it's pretty cool."

Abrams was a first-round pick of the Padres in the 2019 Draft (sixth overall), and Wood was a second-round pick by San Diego in 2021.

"It's always cool,” Wood said. “Last year I had MacKenzie [Gore] with me, this year I got CJ with me. Just going with a teammate is pretty dope."

"It's awesome,” Abrams said. “Me and James go way back to San Diego, and now we are over here doing our thing, so it's going to be fun."

Nationals manager Blake Butera described the moment he told the rest of Abrams and Wood’s teammates the news that they’d be representing Washington at the All-Star Game together.

"Awesome, [I am] fired up for both CJ and Woody,” Butera said. “Both extremely well-deserved honors. CJ starting at shortstop, Woody outfield reserve. All their teammates were really fired up for them."

The Nationals’ offense has posted eye-popping numbers through the first half of the 2026 campaign, with Wood and Abrams leading the charge.

The pair of young stars have been the backbone of the Nationals’ resurgence this season, leading the club to a 48-48 record through Saturday.

Abrams has hit cleanup for the Nationals in 71 of the team’s 96 games this season, hitting .259 with 14 doubles, two triples, 14 homers and 47 RBIs in that spot.

"It's incredible and it speaks volumes of the type of player that he is starting at a premium position like shortstop, of course, representing the National League,” Butera said of Abrams. “First Nationals shortstop to start in the All-Star Game, just really impressive."

Wood celebrated his All-Star Game invite with a mammoth first-pitch home run in the bottom of the first inning that bounced off the first row of the third deck on July 4. It was only the 11th hit to Sections 234 or 236 by a Nationals player since Nationals Park opened in 2008.

"The first time it was like a whirlwind,” Wood said of his All-Star selection. “I think I'll be able to slow it down a little bit more this time and take it in."

CJ Abrams, SS
Previous All-Star appearances: 1 (2024)
Something to know: Abrams leads all NL shortstops in home runs (18), RBIs (60), extra-base hits (36) and slugging percentage (.502).

James Wood, OF
Previous All-Star appearances: 1 (2025)
Something to know: Wood ranks first among NL outfielders in home runs (23), runs scored (77), extra-base hits (46) and walks (68).

Foster Griffin, LHP
Previous All-Star appearances: 0 MLB, 1 NPB Central League (2025)
Something to know: At 10-2 with a 2.77 ERA, Griffin ranks third in the NL in wins and winning percentage (.883), sixth in innings pitched and opponents’ batting average (.210), seventh in walks per nine innings (2.12), ninth in ERA and 10th in strikeouts (109)