NEW YORK – Sitting on a gray couch in the Citi Field visitor’s clubhouse, James Wood studied a 64-square checkerboard.
This was the 23-year-old outfielder’s second game of chess of the afternoon. Moments before, Wood had just said the magic word — checkmate — to shortstop CJ Abrams, defeating his Washington Nationals teammate before moving on to his next victim. Wood was looking for another win against another teammate, hours before the real competition on the field.
It was a somewhat intense battle of minds. Wood was leaning forward, focused on the board and ignoring the outside world. The clubhouse was mostly quiet, besides some soft music playing from a floor speaker placed on one side of the room. Abrams sat next to Wood, silently playing Sudoku on a printed sheet of paper.
(Photo by Rob Tringali/MLB Photos via Getty Images)
All of this might seem boring, but playing chess is an essential challenge for Wood. Embracing obstacles as part of his daily routine is how the young power hitter likes to begin his game days.
“It’s just more competition,” Wood told me on the field during batting practice Tuesday. “Just trying to break the cycle, have some fun. It’s a different way of thinking.”
Wood, a gentle giant at 6-foot-7, is a man of few words. While the third-year big leaguer is a low-key guy, his bat is one of the loudest in the major leagues.
(Photo by G Fiume/Getty Images)
He enters Wednesday tied for the National League lead in home runs with 10. He leads the NL in walks with 29. Not only that, but he ranks ninth among all MLB hitters with a .953 OPS. Across the board, these are all career-best numbers for Wood, who is fast emerging as a bonafide star in the league.
Wood is hitting the ball harder than everyone. His 97 mph average exit velocity is tied with Athletics first baseman Nick Kurtz for the best in MLB. Wood’s 116.3 maximum exit velocity is tied with Yankees slugger Giancarlo Stanton for fifth-best among all hitters. It’s an eye-popping number that’s faster than reigning MVP’s Aaron Judge and Shohei Ohtani.
“Honestly, what is most impressive about [Wood] is how fast he freaking hits the ball,” Nationals general manager Paul Toboni told me at Citi Field on Tuesday. “He’s kind of a unicorn in that respect.”
Wood is coming off his first-career All-Star season in 2025, which was also his first full major-league season. To follow that up, he hasn’t wasted any time showing off his raw power and top-tier bat speed through the first month of action. He’s helping a rebuilding Nationals team stay afloat in a tough NL East. Washington (13-17) is neck-and-neck with the Miami Marlins, fighting for second place in the division.
With Wood driving the team’s offense, the Nationals are ranked fourth in MLB in runs scored, behind only the Braves, Dodgers, and Cubs. It’s apparent why Wood, who’s under team control through 2030, is the centerpiece of the club’s long-term plans.
Earlier this month, Wood won his first NL Player of the Week honor after batting .545 (12-for-22) with three home runs, three doubles, eight RBI, eight runs scored, six walks and two stolen bases amid a six-game hitting streak. He posted a .655 on-base percentage, a 1.091 slugging percentage and a 1.746 OPS in that stretch. Wood’s elite dominance is turning heads around the league.
But, ask him about his hot start to the season and his rising status as a big-league star, and he doesn’t think anything of it.
“It’s kind of just a title,” Wood said. “I just try to be myself. And if that’s how people see me, that’s great. But, if not, I’m just going to be myself regardless.”
Wood’s ability to be so grounded at such a young age has stood out to people in the Nationals organization. Even though he’s only 23, he carries himself like a veteran leader who understands what it takes to produce at the highest level. But none of this happened overnight for Wood. Even though he’s always been excellent at staying down-to-earth, he’s had to work on remaining disciplined.
Last year, in his first full-season in the majors, Wood found it somewhat difficult to stay locked in over the course of the long, 162-game schedule. After posting a .903 OPS in April, 1.014 in May, and .897 in June, Wood’s production dropped to a .564 OPS in July, .724 in August, and .785 in September. Young hitters often struggle with concentration over the lengthy season, dealing with mental fatigue, a build-up of the physical grind, and inexperience with daily adjustments.
When I asked him if he’s feeling more confident at the plate this year, Wood said: “It’s the same as last year. I just gotta find a way to bring it every day.”
This season, Wood has tried to focus on finding a new challenge every day, whether that’s in-game or in the locker room, like playing chess with his teammates. Wood has learned that “baseball has its own way of keeping things interesting.” Now, in his second full-season in the big leagues, with nearly 1,200 plate appearances under his belt, Wood has a better idea of what to expect. The game has slowed down for him, and he’s more comfortable.
“The sky’s the limit for this guy,” Toboni said. “And I just think it’s up to us, and the coaching staff, to continue to find ways to challenge him, because being good and having a boring routine — and being good at that boring routine — oftentimes is really important. And James, I think, is really good at owning that. The season’s really long. And staying disciplined throughout the course of the season, I think, is really important to James.”
(Photo by Jess Rapfogel/Getty Images)
Wood’s relationship with discipline also extends to the batter’s box.
His 221 strikeouts led the majors last season, and he’s once again pacing the league with 46 whiffs through 30 games this year. Striking out so frequently is the main reason his production plummeted in the second half of last year. The Nationals would like to see him cut down on his strikeouts, which would lead to a more consistent offensive output.
Still, Toboni has been impressed by the consistency of Wood’s at-bats so far this season. Even if the result of his plate appearance is an out, the quality of his at-bats has improved, Toboni said. Compared to last year, Wood is seeing slightly more pitches per plate appearance this season, and his strikeout percentage is also marginally diminished. The most encouraging improvement for Wood is the jump in his walk rate, escalating from 12.3% last year to 20% this year.
Still, Wood needs to ameliorate his defensive limitations after posting a -7 OAA (Outs Above Average) in left field last season. But look closely, and he’s making strides with his glove this year. Earlier this month against the Cardinals, Wood made a jumping catch in right field to take a home run away from Norman Gorman. Wood’s OAA has improved to -3 so far this season.
“He’d probably kill me if he heard me say this,” Toboni said, laughing. “But when you watch him, you don’t really think he’s moving because his limbs are so long. He’s 6-7. But he’s moving. I know there are advantages to having really long arms and being able to reach for balls that other players aren’t able to.”
(Photo by Rob Tringali/MLB Photos via Getty Images)
It’s so easy to overlook how young Wood still is, particularly given the elite company he’s keeping at the plate and, of course, his mature disposition. Plenty of young players spend their free time scrolling on their phones or overworking themselves in the batting cage. But Wood? He’s staring at rooks, bishops and knights.
Building a routine and slowing things down has helped Wood block out the noise, even when that attention is positive. Even though his name is being mentioned more and more, with his highlights routinely popping up on MLB Network, Wood doesn’t view himself as a budding superstar. That’s not a bad thing.
The young Nationals phenom can be reserved off the field, as long as he stays ruthless at the plate.
“I don’t think I ever doubted I would be here,” Wood said. “But it’s cool to be here and just take it in every day. I’m just super grateful to be where I’m at. So I’m taking one day at a time.”
“From The Dugout” is where we provide an insider’s view on the biggest and best storylines surrounding MLB’s top players and teams.
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Deesha Thosarcovers Major League Baseball as a reporter and columnist for FOX Sports. She previously covered the Mets as a beat reporter for the New York Daily News. The daughter of Indian immigrants, Deesha grew up on Long Island and now lives in Queens. Follow her on Twitter at@DeeshaThosar.