WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – James Wood crushed 31 homers, earned an All-Star selection and participated in the Home Run Derby – all in his first full season in the Major Leagues. With these offensive accomplishments already reached, what is the next step for this 23-year-old?
The 6-foot-7 slugger has his sights set on the other side of the field.
“[I focused on] a lot of defense,” Wood said. “I focus a lot on hitting in the offseason, but I just think defensively I could’ve helped the pitchers out a little bit more. I think that’s one way as a team we can take a big leap. I know the pitchers will appreciate that a lot. Not only just swinging the bat better as a team, but overall defensively as a team trying to help our guys out.”
Wood made 123 starts in left field last season, where he logged 1,067 1/3 innings. (His other starts were as designated hitter.) He ranked in the 61st percentile in arm strength and 54th percentile in arm value. Wood recorded -7 outs above average (OAA), with a -1 going in, -2 going back, -5 to his right and 0 to his left.
“Preparation,” Wood said as a key to improving his defense. “Being ready every pitch, having a plan every pitch, a lot of pre-step stuff. And once you make a read, trusting your read and going after the ball.”
New manager Blake Butera is excited for Wood to link up this season with first-base coach Corey Ray, who will work with the outfielders, and bench coach Michael Johns, who previously worked in Tampa with outfielders including Josh Lowe and Chandler Simpson. Johns already visited Wood this winter at IMG Academy to get an early start on their connection.
“With how big he is, you wouldn't expect him to run as well as he does,” Butera said. “So I think for him, it's reading balls off the bat a tick faster, and really trusting his routes and basically turning those routes into more efficient routes. He has good hands, he can get off the ball pretty good. I think his biggest thing is just trusting what he's seeing.”
Wood complements an outfield that includes right fielder Dylan Crews and Gold Glove Award finalist Jacob Young in center field.
“I’m not going Spider-Man or anything,” Wood said of Young’s acrobatic defense.
Wood’s main objective – whether hitting or playing defense – is to be available for every game. He appeared in 157 last season, compared to 131 in Triple-A and the Majors combined the previous year. Wood worked on strengthening his lower half this winter to be durable for the course of a baseball calendar.
“When you play as long of a season as baseball is, I think people say the first thing to go is your lower half, that your legs just feel heavier, which slows everything else down just a touch,” said Butera. “If you're just a tick slower, it changes everything with your timing at home plate. So I think in his mind, strengthening that lower half a little bit will only help him maintain the strength throughout the whole season.”
Wood already demonstrated his mashing potential last season with his 31 home runs and .475 slugging percentage. He ranked in the 98th percentile in average exit velocity and hard-hit percentage, 95th percentile in bat speed and 94th percentile in barrel percentage. Wood was the only MLB player last season to tally at least 30 homers, 38 doubles and 15 stolen bases. With that power also came a notable strikeout rate: an MLB-high 221.
“I think trusting your swing, trusting yourself and trying to see the ball deep [will help timing],” Wood said. “Just know that you’re never really that far off. Baseball is a game of really small margins, so it’s hard to be perfect.”
In the handful of months since the Nationals’ coaching staff has been assembled, Wood has made a strong impression. His early baseball résumé speaks for itself, and so has his attitude and personality.
“[He’s an] incredible kid, pretty laid back,” Butera said. “I joke and I'm like, ‘I wonder what he's going to be like when he's hitting in a tie ballgame in the ninth inning, two outs, guy on second, if his heart rate goes up at all or not?’
“But he’s so laid back and seems to be the same person day in and day out. I’ve only known him for a little bit of time now, but that’s the early read. Awesome kid, extremely polite – you could tell he was raised the right way – just a joy to be around.”