James Wood

Organization Prospect Rankings

• 
  Ranked Washington Nationals #2 prospect in 2024
  BA Grade: 65/High
  
  Track Record: Wood’s large stature made him easy to spot on the summer circuit, but that physicality made him one of the most impressive players in the 2021 draft class. The Padres selected him 62nd overall in the second round and went over slot to sign him for $2.6 million. Wood got off to a hot start in the Rookie-level Arizona Complex League in 2021 and continued the success during his first full season with Low-A Lake Elsinore. The Nationals acquired Wood, along with four other young talents, at the 2022 trade deadline in a blockbuster trade for Juan Soto. In 2023, Wood split time between High-A Wilmington and Double-A Harrisburg, where he continued to showcase his power with 26 home runs. He earned a Futures Game nod before finishing strong with an .881 OPS and 10 homers in August and September.
  
  Scouting Report: There is no doubting Wood’s plus-plus raw power. He crushes the ball to all fields and does a good job resisting pitches off the plate. Power hitters tend to have higher strikeout rates, which is the case with Wood at nearly 32%. He has more difficulty seeing spin well and will need to adjust. Wood adjusted his batting stance to keep his arms closer to his body to have a shorter swing he can manipulate better. He has a chance to stick in center field and is an above-average runner, but he will likely move to a corner as his body matures. His above-average arm will play there. Wood has above-average speed and was successful on 18 of 21 stolen base attempts in 2023.
  
  The Future: Wood will add a massive power bat to the Nationals’ lineup for many years to come. If he can lower his strikeout rate, he has the upside to hit 30-35 home runs. Nationals fans should start getting looks at Wood in Washington in 2024.
  
  Scouting Grades Hit: 50 | Power: 65 | Run: 55 | Field: 50 | Arm: 55
• 
  Ranked Washington Nationals #1 prospect in 2023
  BA Grade/Risk: 65/High
  
  Track Record: Wood moved away from his hometown in Maryland to attend Florida's IMG Academy and gain greater exposure on the baseball diamond. A standout in basketball as well as baseball, Wood used his first summer on the showcase circuit to his advantage and emerged as one of the most physically impressive players in the 2021 draft class. Despite Wood's elevated strikeout totals his senior spring, the Padres saw his plus-plus raw power and huge upside and drafted him 62nd overall in the second round and signed him for an above-slot $2.6 million to sway him from a Mississippi State commitment. The gamble paid off immediately as Wood emerged as one of the best prospects in the Rookie-level Arizona Complex League after signing. He continued to impress in his full-season debut with Low-A Lake Elsinore in 2022, hitting .337 with 30 extra-base hits in 50 games despite going on the injured list twice with right wrist soreness. The Nationals acquired Wood, along with shortstop CJ Abrams, outfielder Robert Hassell III, lefthander MacKenzie Gore and righthander Jarlin Susana, in the eight-player trade that sent Juan Soto to San Diego. Wood continued to impress in 21 games with Low-A Fredericksburg to close out the season.
  
  Scouting Report: There is no questioning Wood's athletic ability. His father is Kenny Wood, a former college basketball standout at Richmond, and James was a gifted basketball player before shifting to baseball full-time. At 6-foot-7, 240 pounds, Wood's athleticism and plus-plus raw power flows easily. He hits enormous home runs to all fields and has the strength, leverage and bat speed to demolish any pitch. He catches up to mid-90s velocity with ease and has the balance and pitch recognition to identify and stay back on secondary stuff. There are still questions surrounding Wood's high strikeout numbers, but a widened stance and learning to be less aggressive in early counts has helped. Wood's aggressiveness is still a work in progress, but he is improving. Due to his height, he has a longer bat path than most other players. He makes consistent contact in all parts of the zone despite his long levers and should continue to develop as a contact hitter with his widened stance. Wood is a smooth runner with above-average speed in center field and has a chance to stick there. He still has room to fill out and will likely move to one of the corners, where he will be a slightly above-average defender with an above-average arm.
  
  The Future: Wood has a chance to be a game-changing power hitter in the middle of the Nationals' order for years to come. If he can stick with the adjustments made to his stance and flatten out his bat path, he has the upside to hit 30-35 home runs. He will open 2023 at High-A Wilmington and has a chance to reach Washington by 2024.
  
  Scouting Grades: Hitting: 55. Power: 65. Speed: 55. Fielding: 50. Arm: 55
• 
  Ranked San Diego Padres #5 prospect in 2022
  Track Record: Wood grew up in Maryland before moving to Florida to hone his baseball skills at IMG Academy. Elevated strikeout totals as a senior sank his draft stock, but the Padres still viewed him as one of the biggest upside plays in the draft. They selected him in the second round, No. 62 overall, and gave him a $2.6 million signing bonus—nearly double the recommended slot amount— to lure him away from a Mississippi State commitment. Wood rewarded their faith with a standout showing in the Rookie-level Arizona Complex League in his pro debut, batting .372/.465/.535 and showing a dynamic combination of power and athleticism.
  
  Scouting Report: The son of former college basketball standout Kenny Wood, Wood is a uniquely gifted and coordinated athlete for a 6-foot-7 teenager. He generates easy plus-plus raw power from a swing that isn’t as long as you’d expect from a big man. He is still prone to striking out, but after the Padres widened his stance and asked him to stand more upright in the box, his bat path flattened out and his swings and misses went down substantially. He has a chance to be an average hitter who gets to his power in games as long as he maintains his adjustments. Wood is a surprisingly smooth runner in center field. He’ll remain there as long as he proves he can handle the position, but he’ll likely end up in right field, where he projects to be an average defender with an average arm.
  
  The Future: Wood will head to Low-A Lake Elsinore in 2022. He has 30-35 home run potential and has a chance to be a prototypical middle-of-the-order threat.
  

Draft Prospects

• Ranked #35 prospect in 2021 draft
  It would be difficult to find a player in the 2021 class with more overall upside than IMG Academy outfielder James Wood. The son of a college and professional basketball player, Wood has a unique collection of traits and tools packed into a massive, 6-foot-6, 230-pound frame. Like his father, Wood was also a talented basketball player but began focusing exclusively on baseball after transferring from Maryland to IMG. He has some of the best raw power in the class—which some scouts have given a future 70 grade—he moves exceptionally well for his size and has played an impressive center field, he can throw and he showed impressive bat-to-ball skills with a smooth and leveraged lefthanded swing last spring. However, for as good as Wood was a year ago, he struggled this spring while playing for perhaps the most scrutinized and heavily-scouted high school team in the nation. While Wood did show some swing-and-miss tendencies over the summer, he struck out at a significantly higher rate this spring which raised questions about how much the long-levered slugger would be able to make contact at the next level. Wood has used a very low handset in his setup at the plate, and when he’s on time it hasn’t been an issue with more than enough bat speed to get on plane and catch velocity out in front. However, Wood has recently tweaked his setup with a wider base and a higher handset to try and simplify the process and let himself simply react and use his hands naturally. It’s most likely that Wood winds up in a corner outfield spot, simply because players of his size so rarely stick in center field at the big league level, but he does have the speed and route-running ability to handle the position. Wood might be a bit of a split-camp player at the top of the draft because some teams will shy away from his long levers and swing-and-miss tendencies, but for teams unafraid to take a shot on massive upside, his tool set easily fits in the first round. Wood is committed to Mississippi State.

Minor League Top Prospects

• 
  Ranked Arizona Complex League #2 prospect in 2021
  The Padres selected Wood with the 62nd overall pick and signed the IMG Academy product for a well above-slot $2.6 million. Coming off a disappointing senior season with a higher-than-expected strikeout rate, Wood was encouraged by the Padres’ coaching staff to widen his stance to use his legs more and get more upright in the box to flatten out his swing. The results of the new setup contributed to Wood going 12 for his last 23 (.522) while hitting two of his three homers in the final week. Wood has an intriguing mix of size and speed, with plus-plus raw power and good instincts and bat-to-ball skills at the plate. “He’s a very cerebral hitter,” said Chris Kemp, the Padres’ vice president of international scouting and field coordinator. “He’s very smart in the box with a low pulse.” Much larger than the prototype center fielder, Wood may be able to stay up the middle because of the ground he covers with his long strides and plus speed. His above-average arm would fit in right field.

Top 100 Rankings

• Ranked Baseball America's #1 prospect in 2024
• Ranked Baseball America's #7 prospect in 2023
• Ranked Baseball America's #11 prospect in 2023

• February, 2023 Scouting Report
  BA Grade/Risk: 65/High
  
  Track Record: Wood moved away from his hometown in Maryland to attend Florida's IMG Academy and gain greater exposure on the baseball diamond. A standout in basketball as well as baseball, Wood used his first summer on the showcase circuit to his advantage and emerged as one of the most physically impressive players in the 2021 draft class. Despite Wood's elevated strikeout totals his senior spring, the Padres saw his plus-plus raw power and huge upside and drafted him 62nd overall in the second round and signed him for an above-slot $2.6 million to sway him from a Mississippi State commitment. The gamble paid off immediately as Wood emerged as one of the best prospects in the Rookie-level Arizona Complex League after signing. He continued to impress in his full-season debut with Low-A Lake Elsinore in 2022, hitting .337 with 30 extra-base hits in 50 games despite going on the injured list twice with right wrist soreness. The Nationals acquired Wood, along with shortstop CJ Abrams, outfielder Robert Hassell III, lefthander MacKenzie Gore and righthander Jarlin Susana, in the eight-player trade that sent Juan Soto to San Diego. Wood continued to impress in 21 games with Low-A Fredericksburg to close out the season.
  
  Scouting Report: There is no questioning Wood's athletic ability. His father is Kenny Wood, a former college basketball standout at Richmond, and James was a gifted basketball player before shifting to baseball full-time. At 6-foot-7, 240 pounds, Wood's athleticism and plus-plus raw power flows easily. He hits enormous home runs to all fields and has the strength, leverage and bat speed to demolish any pitch. He catches up to mid-90s velocity with ease and has the balance and pitch recognition to identify and stay back on secondary stuff. There are still questions surrounding Wood's high strikeout numbers, but a widened stance and learning to be less aggressive in early counts has helped. Wood's aggressiveness is still a work in progress, but he is improving. Due to his height, he has a longer bat path than most other players. He makes consistent contact in all parts of the zone despite his long levers and should continue to develop as a contact hitter with his widened stance. Wood is a smooth runner with above-average speed in center field and has a chance to stick there. He still has room to fill out and will likely move to one of the corners, where he will be a slightly above-average defender with an above-average arm.
  
  The Future: Wood has a chance to be a game-changing power hitter in the middle of the Nationals' order for years to come. If he can stick with the adjustments made to his stance and flatten out his bat path, he has the upside to hit 30-35 home runs. He will open 2023 at High-A Wilmington and has a chance to reach Washington by 2024.
  
  Scouting Grades: Hitting: 55. Power: 65. Speed: 55. Fielding: 50. Arm: 55
• December, 2022 Scouting Report
  BA Grade/Risk: 65/High
  
  Track Record: Wood moved away from his hometown in Maryland to attend Florida's IMG Academy and gain greater exposure on the baseball diamond. A standout in basketball as well as baseball, Wood used his first summer on the showcase circuit to his advantage and emerged as one of the most physically impressive players in the 2021 draft class. Despite Wood's elevated strikeout totals his senior spring, the Padres saw his plus-plus raw power and huge upside and drafted him 62nd overall in the second round and signed him for an above-slot $2.6 million to sway him from a Mississippi State commitment. The gamble paid off immediately as Wood emerged as one of the best prospects in the Rookie-level Arizona Complex League after signing. He continued to impress in his full-season debut with Low-A Lake Elsinore in 2022, hitting .337 with 30 extra-base hits in 50 games despite going on the injured list twice with right wrist soreness. The Nationals acquired Wood, along with shortstop CJ Abrams, outfielder Robert Hassell III, lefthander MacKenzie Gore and righthander Jarlin Susana, in the eight-player trade that sent Juan Soto to San Diego. Wood continued to impress in 21 games with Low-A Fredericksburg to close out the season.
  
  Scouting Report: There is no questioning Wood's athletic ability. His father is Kenny Wood, a former college basketball standout at Richmond, and James was a gifted basketball player before shifting to baseball full-time. At 6-foot-7, 240 pounds, Wood's athleticism and plus-plus raw power flows easily. He hits enormous home runs to all fields and has the strength, leverage and bat speed to demolish any pitch. He catches up to mid-90s velocity with ease and has the balance and pitch recognition to identify and stay back on secondary stuff. There are still questions surrounding Wood's high strikeout numbers, but a widened stance and learning to be less aggressive in early counts has helped. Wood's aggressiveness is still a work in progress, but he is improving. Due to his height, he has a longer bat path than most other players. He makes consistent contact in all parts of the zone despite his long levers and should continue to develop as a contact hitter with his widened stance. Wood is a smooth runner with above-average speed in center field and has a chance to stick there. He still has room to fill out and will likely move to one of the corners, where he will be a slightly above-average defender with an above-average arm.
  
  The Future: Wood has a chance to be a game-changing power hitter in the middle of the Nationals' order for years to come. If he can stick with the adjustments made to his stance and flatten out his bat path, he has the upside to hit 30-35 home runs. He will open 2023 at High-A Wilmington and has a chance to reach Washington by 2024.
  
  Scouting Grades: Hitting: 55. Power: 65. Speed: 55. Fielding: 50. Arm: 55
• April, 2022 Scouting Report
  BA Grade: 55/High
  
  Track Record: Wood grew up in Maryland before moving to Florida to hone his baseball skills at IMG Academy. Elevated strikeout totals as a senior sank his draft stock, but the Padres still viewed him as one of the biggest upside plays in the draft. They selected him in the second round, No. 62 overall, and gave him a $2.6 million signing bonus—nearly double the recommended slot amount— to lure him away from a Mississippi State commitment. Wood rewarded their faith with a standout showing in the Rookie-level Arizona Complex League in his pro debut, batting .372/.465/.535 and showing a dynamic combination of power and athleticism.
  
  Scouting Report: The son of former college basketball standout Kenny Wood, Wood is a uniquely gifted and coordinated athlete for a 6-foot-7 teenager. He generates easy plus-plus raw power from a swing that isn&#39t as long as you&#39d expect from a big man. He is still prone to striking out, but after the Padres widened his stance and asked him to stand more upright in the box, his bat path flattened out and his swings and misses went down substantially. He has a chance to be an average hitter who gets to his power in games as long as he maintains his adjustments. Wood is a surprisingly smooth runner in center field. He&#39ll remain there as long as he proves he can handle the position, but he&#39ll likely end up in right field, where he projects to be an average defender with an average arm.
  
  The Future: Wood will head to Low-A Lake Elsinore in 2022. He has 30-35 home run potential and has a chance to be a prototypical middle-of-the-order threat.
  
  Scouting Grades: Hit: 45. Power: 65. Speed: 55. Fielding: 50. Arm: 50.
• December, 2021 Scouting Report
  Track Record: Wood grew up in Maryland before moving to Florida to hone his baseball skills at IMG Academy. Elevated strikeout totals as a senior sank his draft stock, but the Padres still viewed him as one of the biggest upside plays in the draft. They selected him in the second round, No. 62 overall, and gave him a $2.6 million signing bonus—nearly double the recommended slot amount— to lure him away from a Mississippi State commitment. Wood rewarded their faith with a standout showing in the Rookie-level Arizona Complex League in his pro debut, batting .372/.465/.535 and showing a dynamic combination of power and athleticism.
  
  Scouting Report: The son of former college basketball standout Kenny Wood, Wood is a uniquely gifted and coordinated athlete for a 6-foot-7 teenager. He generates easy plus-plus raw power from a swing that isn’t as long as you’d expect from a big man. He is still prone to striking out, but after the Padres widened his stance and asked him to stand more upright in the box, his bat path flattened out and his swings and misses went down substantially. He has a chance to be an average hitter who gets to his power in games as long as he maintains his adjustments. Wood is a surprisingly smooth runner in center field. He’ll remain there as long as he proves he can handle the position, but he’ll likely end up in right field, where he projects to be an average defender with an average arm.
  
  The Future: Wood will head to Low-A Lake Elsinore in 2022. He has 30-35 home run potential and has a chance to be a prototypical middle-of-the-order threat.
  
• October, 2021 Scouting Report
  The Padres selected Wood with the 62nd overall pick and signed the IMG Academy product for a well above-slot $2.6 million. Coming off a disappointing senior season with a higher-than-expected strikeout rate, Wood was encouraged by the Padres’ coaching staff to widen his stance to use his legs more and get more upright in the box to flatten out his swing. The results of the new setup contributed to Wood going 12 for his last 23 (.522) while hitting two of his three homers in the final week. Wood has an intriguing mix of size and speed, with plus-plus raw power and good instincts and bat-to-ball skills at the plate. “He’s a very cerebral hitter,” said Chris Kemp, the Padres’ vice president of international scouting and field coordinator. “He’s very smart in the box with a low pulse.” Much larger than the prototype center fielder, Wood may be able to stay up the middle because of the ground he covers with his long strides and plus speed. His above-average arm would fit in right field.
• July, 2021 Scouting Report
  It would be difficult to find a player in the 2021 class with more overall upside than IMG Academy outfielder James Wood. The son of a college and professional basketball player, Wood has a unique collection of traits and tools packed into a massive, 6-foot-6, 230-pound frame. Like his father, Wood was also a talented basketball player but began focusing exclusively on baseball after transferring from Maryland to IMG. He has some of the best raw power in the class—which some scouts have given a future 70 grade—he moves exceptionally well for his size and has played an impressive center field, he can throw and he showed impressive bat-to-ball skills with a smooth and leveraged lefthanded swing last spring. However, for as good as Wood was a year ago, he struggled this spring while playing for perhaps the most scrutinized and heavily-scouted high school team in the nation. While Wood did show some swing-and-miss tendencies over the summer, he struck out at a significantly higher rate this spring which raised questions about how much the long-levered slugger would be able to make contact at the next level. Wood has used a very low handset in his setup at the plate, and when he's on time it hasn't been an issue with more than enough bat speed to get on plane and catch velocity out in front. However, Wood has recently tweaked his setup with a wider base and a higher handset to try and simplify the process and let himself simply react and use his hands naturally. It's most likely that Wood winds up in a corner outfield spot, simply because players of his size so rarely stick in center field at the big league level, but he does have the speed and route-running ability to handle the position. Wood might be a bit of a split-camp player at the top of the draft because some teams will shy away from his long levers and swing-and-miss tendencies, but for teams unafraid to take a shot on massive upside, his tool set easily fit in the first round. Wood is committed to Mississippi State.