The Juan Soto trade is beginning to pay off for the Nationals, with a breakout season from CJ Abrams and flashes from starter MacKenzie Gore. And the player who could be the biggest prize from the deal is joining the fray Monday night.
James Wood, the No. 3 prospect in baseball according to MLB Pipeline, is making his MLB debut against the Mets.
You won't be able to miss him. Wood is set to become one of the tallest position players in the league as soon as he steps onto the field in Washington, and he will be relying partly on his sheer size to intimidate pitchers as he looks to build on a dominant start to the season in the minor leagues.
Here's what you need to know about Wood's height and how he compares to Yankees star Aaron Judge.
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How tall is James Wood?
Wood is listed at 6-7, making him instantly one of MLB's tallest hitters.
Tall pitchers are fairly common, but tall hitters aren't necessarily the norm. Size and strength mean something when it comes to hitting a baseball, but they don't mean everything. After all, to hit the ball hard and hit it far, you first have to make contact.
Hitters such as Jose Altuve have proven that size and strength often pale in comparison to the ability to see the ball well and make consistent contact. But sometimes a hitter puts it all together in one package, as is the case for Aaron Judge or Giancarlo Stanton.
Judge sees the ball well. He has proven he can make consistent contact after a strikeout-heavy start to his career. And he uses his pure size and strength to separate himself. In his prime, Stanton did the same.
Wood doesn't project as quite the same kind of power hitter, but he's slashed his strikeout rate in the minor leagues this season and appears to be seeing the ball as well as anyone to go along with his natural strength.
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Tallest MLB hitters
Wood joins Judge and Pirates shortstop Oneil Cruz as the tallest active position players in baseball. Judge and Cruz routinely make other players look tiny on the field, but that means Wood would line right up with the two of them.
Aaron Judge with O’Neil Cruz…yes Cruz is blocking out Judge pic.twitter.com/vY0OfwDXnl
— David Hague (@DHPhoto11) July 7, 2022
Judge became the 11th position player in MLB history listed at 6-7 or taller when he debuted in 2016, Stats LLC reported at the time. Cruz was the 12th such player when he debuted in 2022, and Wood will be the 13th position player to stand 6-7 or taller upon his debut Monday.
Richie Sexson (6-8), Tony Clark (6-8) and Nate Freiman (6-8) are considered the tallest true position players in MLB history, though Sexson's height was listed by some as 6-7.
It's much more common for pitchers to stand 6-7 as there were 18 active pitchers listed at 6-7 or taller in early May. Most pitchers won't have the height advantage over Wood, who could quickly become one of the sport's most intimidating hitters if his bat matches his size.
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James Wood minor league stats
| Season | Level(s) | Games | AVG | HR | RBI | OPS |
| 2021 | Rk | 26 | .372 | 3 | 22 | 1.000 |
| 2022 | Rk, A | 76 | .313 | 12 | 62 | .956 |
| 2023 | A+, AA | 129 | .262 | 26 | 91 | .874 |
| 2024 | AAA | 52 | .353 | 10 | 37 | 1.058 |
| Career | 283 | .302 | 51 | 212 | .941 |
Wood was a second-round pick of the Padres in 2021, and his excellent start in the minor leagues elevated his profile enough to make him one of the central pieces of the Nationals' massive return for Soto.
All Wood has done since is continue to hit. He battled a high strikeout rate and lower batting average in 2023, but 26 home runs were a sign that his power was translating to higher levels. In 2024, Wood's strikeout rate has plummeted and he's batting a stellar .353 through 52 minor-league games.
The Nationals are hoping those are all the minor-league games he will need, as they are aiming for the 21-year-old to be a long-term cornerstone of the franchise.
