Fantasy Baseball Outlook for James Wood after Call Up

It’s always an exciting day when a top MLB prospect gets called up.

On Friday, it was reported that Washington Nationals’ James Wood was getting called up to the big leagues.

Let’s discuss Wood’s minor league numbers, fantasy outlook and then how to approach him in fantasy leagues.

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Wood’s Minor League Stats

Wood is the No. 3 overall prospect in all of the league now.

He’s got an average hit tool and above-average marks for his arm and fielding, while being most known for his speed and power tools.

Wood was drafted in the second round of the 2021 MLB Draft by the San Diego Padres. He was part of the Juan Soto trade and is now about to make his MLB debut.

In parts of four minor league seasons, Wood has a .300 average and .401 on-base percentage across 282 games and 1,035 at-bats. He’s collected 51 home runs, 73 doubles, nine triples and 58 stolen bases along the way, while walking 167 times and striking out on 321 occasions.

Wood only played at Triple-A this season. In 51 games, the 21-year-old had a .346 average and .458 OBP, with 23 extra-base hits (including 10 home runs) among his 64 total hits, 10 stolen bases, 39 walks and 41 strikeouts. In other words, Wood has nothing left to prove in the minors.

Wood’s Fantasy Outlook

Wood is an outfielder. Right now, Lane Thomas, Jesse Winker and Jacob Young are the team’s primary outfielders. All those players are having at least solid seasons, so I don’t envision Wood taking any of their spots.

The designated hitter spot is how Wood will get into the lineup. Washington could rotate between Thomas, Winker, Young and Wood in the outfield, with the player not in the field getting the start at DH. One way or another though, I’d expect those four in the lineup often.

Don’t freak out if you don’t see Wood in the lineup for any of the team’s weekend games. You shouldn’t. Wood is expected to be called up on Monday, which gives fantasy owners plenty of time to add Wood to their fantasy teams.

The Washington lineup has some decent names in it, but most of those guys hit in the top half of the lineup, with the bottom part of the order being platoon guys and below-average hitters.

Depending on where Wood slots into the lineup, his fantasy outlook will be impacted. A spot in the top five slots in the order would be great for Wood’s fantasy outlook, while really anything below that would diminish his initial fantasy impact. 

Really though, as long as Wood can get on base, he’ll at least be a solid fantasy asset. If his power doesn’t immediately translate to the MLB, his high average and stolen base numbers should be enough to warrant playing him in all fantasy leagues.

Once the power comes, Wood could become one of the better fantasy hitters in the entire MLB.

How to Approach Wood in Fantasy Leagues

Wood is a top prospect for a reason, and when one of these guys gets called up, they need to be added in fantasy leagues. 

Wood should already be owned in every dynasty league out there. You can immediately plug him into your starting lineup in those leagues.

Wood probably also is already owned in a bunch of deeper leagues as well. Check to see if he’s available in your league, and add him immediately if he’s unrostered. Fantasy owners again could immediately put Wood into their starting lineup.

In standard leagues, I would also add Wood right now. He might not immediately make an impact at the big league level, but he’s far too talented not to at least take a gamble on (as long as you have a roster spot to play with).

Standard league fantasy owners don’t need to instantly put Wood into their starting lineups, but at least stash him on a bench spot for the time being.

Much like when Baltimore Orioles’ Jackson Holliday got called up earlier this season, immediate success might not happen, but I’d give it at least a couple weeks before moving on from Wood. He can impact the game in several different ways, and I envision him having some success right away.

Hopefully, we will see Wood’s name on the daily takeaways stories often!