James Wooden, the highly-touted Washington Nationals prospect who has developed right into a power within the minors, is anticipated to make his MLB debut Monday when the Nationals meet the New York Mets at Nationals Park, a supply conversant in the matter advised The Washington Put up on Friday.
The Nationals, in the course of a protracted highway journey, are set to satisfy the Tampa Bay Rays in Florida afterward Friday.
A strong left-handed hitter, Wooden hit 51 residence runs in his minor league profession, together with 26 a season in the past. Wooden, who grew up in Maryland, landed within the Nationals’ system in 2022 — one of many prospects the San Diego Padres despatched to Washington as part of the trade for superstar Juan Soto. Additionally a part of that deal: MacKenzie Gore, the left-handed pitcher in line to begin Monday.
Wooden, vibrant and soft-spoken, has lengthy carried with him the weight of tremendous expectations. And his mom, Paula, has said that he has “all the time been obsessive about baseball differently than anything in his life.” Earlier this 12 months, his Class AAA supervisor indicated that he may be prepared for an even bigger stage.
“Clearly that’s not my selection,” Red Wing Manager Matt LeCroy said at the time. “However he’s achieved sufficient proper now that I’d really feel assured, in the event that they requested me [about calling him up], [to say], ‘Hey, man, would possibly as nicely.’ ”
Wooden is in the course of his fourth season within the minors. He began the 2023 season in excessive Class A Wilmington and jumped to Class AA Harrisburg after simply 42 video games. This 12 months, he participated in his first massive league spring coaching and impressed in West Palm Seashore, Fla., Washington’s spring coaching residence.
Wooden didn’t make Washington’s Opening Day roster — the Nationals wished to provide him extra time to develop. However as he cruised via Class AAA, the noise round him continued to develop. Wooden suffered a proper hamstring harm in mid-Might, which sidelined him for a number of weeks. He returned on June 18 and has performed in simply six video games.
When the Nationals traded Soto, they hoped to construct a younger core that may make them aggressive once more. Two items of that core — Gore and shortstop CJ Abrams — are already in Washington and having robust begins to the 12 months. Now Wooden is ready to hitch them, as Washington’s years-long rebuild takes one other massive step.
This can be a growing story and can be up to date.
