Nationals’ Wood enters spring training with eyes on another leap

Nationals outfielder James Wood won’t settle for a repeat of last season. The slugging rising star joined his teammates for the first official practice of spring training on Monday, eager to lay a foundation that can help him become a household name.

Wood, 23, started last season on a tear. He notched 24 home runs before the All-Star break but struggled through the second half of the campaign. He finished the year with 31 total home runs while striking out a league-high 221 times, falling just two shy of the MLB record. 

He’s looking to buck the end-of-year skid with the help of new manager Blake Butera, who leads an overhauled squad that cleaned house in the offseason. 

“This is a fully clean slate,” Butera said on Monday. “[The players] get to write their new chapter. What that’s going to look like is totally up to them.”

Wood has some ideas on the shape of his future. He’s one of the “hungry” players that Butera has talked to about finding a second gear. 

“When you talk about the next level for James, you bring up two things. One is finishing the year the way he started,” the first-time manager said. “He’s worked on his body this offseason to make sure his legs can withstand the entire 162-game season.”

Wood didn’t openly complain of fatigue during his first full season as a major leaguer last year. It was a quiet concern among coaches and fans, though. 

The Maryland native played in 156 games, with the added stress of appearances in the All-Star Game and the Home Run Derby. Wood said he focused on “building himself up” this offseason through workouts with personal trainers and Nationals staff. 

“Trying to go out and learn new things, continue to develop a good base for myself,” the outfielder told reporters. “So, when things go south — which they will; it’s baseball — I have a stronger foundation to go back to.”

The newest part of that base is a strong defense. Wood has never received acclaim for his play in the field. Washington’s everyday right fielder recorded just five assists and ranked well below average in advanced metrics measuring his range and arm. 

Wood is hoping to change that.

“His defense has been a huge focus,” Butera said. “His pre-step and also just trusting his routes. That’s a big one for him. He spent a lot of time on that side of the ball.”

“My defense and everyday habits,” Wood said when asked about his biggest areas of improvement. “There’s a lot of good things, but a lot more to build on.”

There was no talk of plate discipline or having the lefty focus on pulling the ball into right field on Monday. Wood’s aggressive approach at the plate has seen plenty of misses. It’s also featured a nearly even spread on home runs. 

Despite leading the majors in strikeouts, Wood still posted an impressive .825 OPS as he focused on hard-hitting contact across all fields. 

Wood pulled the ball just 30% of the time last season. The average MLB left-handed batter hit the ball to right field about 40% of the time, according to MLB’s Statcast data. 

The new staff isn’t trying to change that. 

“I don’t think it’s really anything that I feel like I have to force,” Wood said. “I feel like driving the ball the other way just allows me to see the ball deeper, make better decisions, and I’m not really sacrificing home run power in that sense, going that way either.”

Wood is likely the biggest star left on the Nationals after the franchise traded All-Star pitcher MacKenzie Gore to the Texas Rangers last month. 

Even as the face of Washington’s youth movement, Wood has been reticent to embrace a leadership role so far. Butera has stressed a “player-led clubhouse” but wants to see roles develop naturally on one of the youngest rosters in baseball. 

“I’m going to just try and be myself,” Wood said. “If people see that as a leader, then I’ll take it. But, I just want to be a good teammate and be there for everybody in this locker room.”

The number of filled lockers in the Nationals’ clubhouse has grown this month as the franchise continues to sign free agents. 

Washington agreed to a minor-league deal with reliever Drew Smith on Monday. The former New York Met recorded 23 strikeouts in 17 2/3 innings last season, posting a 3.06 ERA out of the bullpen. The 32-year-old is slated to make $1.75 million this season if he makes Washington’s major league roster.