Nationals outfielder James Wood is facing an uphill battle to make the MLB All-Star Game, even as Washington’s quiet star continues to lead National League outfielders in almost every major batting category.
Wood ranked seventh among NL outfielders in votes when MLB officials posted the latest All-Star update on Monday. Only the top six vote-getters at the position move on to the next phase of voting.
But Wood led his counterparts in home runs, walks, runs scored and extra-base hits entering Wednesday’s games. The 23-year-old also ranked in the top 10 in stolen bases, batting average, RBIs and on-base percentage.
“Seeing everything he does is pretty unique, pretty special,” fellow Nationals outfielder Daylen Lile told the District’s ABC affiliate this week. “He’s making a name for himself. He’s making a statement.”
The statement hasn’t resonated with the broader MLB fanbase.
The six outfielders ranking ahead of Wood in All-Star voting are Andy Pages and Teoscar Hernandez of the Los Angeles Dodgers, Ronald Acuna Jr. and Michael Harris II of the Atlanta Braves, Brandon Marsh of the Philadelphia Phillies and Juan Soto of the New York Mets.
None of them has posted the same staggering offensive output as Wood, who has knocked 20 homers at the season’s halfway point. But they have name recognition.
Pages and Hernandez patrol the outfield for the back-to-back champion Dodgers, who are staples on national broadcasts.
Acuna and Harris are both former Rookie of the Year winners for the Braves.
Soto, a former National who spent the 2024 campaign with the New York Yankees before signing a hefty contract with the Mets, is a perennial All-Star.
Marsh hasn’t made an All-Star Game, but his clutch moments and trademark beard have made him a fan favorite for the popular Phillies.
Wood, despite his 6-foot-6-inch frame and staggering power, is soft-spoken. He’s a quiet competitor who has yet to fully embrace the spotlight in the District. It hasn’t affected his play, but it matters in the popularity-driven All-Star vote.
Players on contenders or in big markets like Atlanta, Philadelphia, New York and Los Angeles have an inherent advantage in the process.
That’s particularly evident this year, as the Dodgers’ Hyeseong Kim ranks fourth in All-Star voting among NL second basemen. Kim isn’t even on the Dodgers’ major-league roster. They sent him to Triple-A Oklahoma City on May 29 after 43 games in Los Angeles to start the year.
With Wood falling behind in voting, the Nationals have rallied behind their rising star.
“I think Woody is very, very much deserving to not only be a definite All-Star Game participant, but also he should be in the MVP conversation as well,” Nationals manager Blake Butera told MLB.com. “And anyone that’s in the MVP conversation up there at the top should, I believe, be in the All-Star Game.”
To help his odds, the Nationals have been urging fans on social media to vote for Wood and shortstop C.J. Abrams, who leads his position in voting. Wood even visited 106.7 “The Fan” on Tuesday to ask for fans’ support in the All-Star vote.
If Wood doesn’t make the roster through the fan vote, he could still head to the All-Star festivities as one of the reserves selected by his fellow players and the commissioner’s office.
Washington’s slugger has his eyes on the starting rotation for the July 14 Midsummer Classic in Philadelphia, though.
“It would be pretty cool. Just being able to represent D.C., especially in Philly, hopefully get some boos there,” Wood, a Maryland native, said on the radio. “It’s a sign of respect.”
The Nationals entered Wednesday night’s game against the Phillies with a 41-39 record, one game back of the NL’s wild-card teams.
Contact the author
Please read our comment policy before commenting.