Wood stands out in Nationals spring training action
Fred Jeter | 3/21/2024, 6 p.m.
Among the Washington Nationals’ brightest prospects has Richmond ties.
Outfielder James Wood is the son of former University of Richmond basketball standout Kenny Wood, a member of the Spiders Athletic Hall of Fame.
Wood is a 6-foot-6, 234-pound athlete who is off to a sizzling start in Nationals spring training action in and around West Palm Beach, Fla.
Batting left and throwing right, the 21-year-old was hitting .324 (12 for 37) with 12 runs and seven walks through 17 games of Washington’s Florida exhibitions.
Wood had three homers, a triple, a double, three stolen bases and five runs batted in during the hot start.
Wood began spring training even though he is not on the Nationals’ 40-man roster but he could be elevated by opening day or later in the spring.
A year ago, Wood came to Richmond to play against the Flying Squirrels as a member of the Nationals’ Harrisburg, Pa., Class AA squad.
Wood grew up in Maryland but finished high school at the IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla. He was drafted 62nd overall in the second round by San Diego in 2022.
He came to Washington as part of the trade that sent Juan Soto and Josh Bell to the Padres.
While at UR, 6-foot-6 father Kenny Wood scored 1,471 points, grabbed 717 rebounds, and played a major role in the Spiders upset of Syracuse in the 1991 NCAA tournament.
It was the first time a No. 15 seed had defeated a No. 2 seed. Kenny Wood went on to play professionally in Europe.
