James Wooden is about to make his MLB debut for the Nationals vs. Mets on Monday.
Wooden, 21, began the yr with the Class AAA Rochester (NY) Pink Wings. The 6-foot-7 middle fielder, whose long-awaited main league call-up has generated buzz all season, is hitting arduous. .346 with a 1.036 OPS in 51 games. For pink wings.
The Nationals, who’re on a 10-day journey, are scheduled to fulfill the Tampa Bay Rays in Florida later Friday.
“I can neither affirm nor deny the rumours,” stated Martinez, who smiled when requested earlier than Friday’s sport about stories of Wooden’s recall. “However I am going to inform you this — I am very excited for him to get right here. He is a particular child. I am trying ahead to working with him.”
A robust left-handed hitter, Wooden has hit 51 residence runs in his minor league profession, together with 26 final season. Wooden, who grew up in Maryland, landed within the Nationals system in 2022 — one of many promising gamers the San Diego Padres despatched to Washington as a part of the commerce for Juan Soto. Additionally a part of that deal: left-handed pitcher Mackenzie Gore, who’s scheduled to start out Monday.
“We have now to recollect that he’s nonetheless 21 years outdated, nonetheless studying about himself, however he’s an unbelievable expertise,” Martinez stated.
The Nationals’ 40-man roster is full, in order that they must commerce or designate a participant for project to make room earlier than Wooden makes his debut on Monday. Eddie Rosario, who the Nationals signed to a minor league deal in March, looks as if the almost definitely possibility. The Nationals might attempt to discover a workforce keen to commerce for Rosario, the Atlanta Braves’ 2021 Nationwide League Championship Collection MVP who has an OPS of .556 this season. However that might be troublesome, even with Rosario’s postseason expertise.
The Nationals have 4 different gamers on the roster: Lane Thomas, Jacob Younger, Jesse Winker and Harold Ramirez, who signed minor league offers with Washington this month after being designated for waivers by the Tampa Bay Rays. Winker was doing follow reps at first base with Joey Meneses earlier than Friday’s sport, maybe indicating how the Nationals wish to combine each Winker and Wooden into the lineup.
Wooden, a wise, quiet man, has lengthy carried the load of expectation. “He’s at all times been obsessive about baseball in a approach that he’s by no means been obsessive about the rest in his life,” his mom, Paula, stated. His supervisor at Rochester urged he could be prepared for an even bigger stage.
“Clearly that is not my selection,” Pink Wings supervisor Matthew LeCroy stated in Might. “However he is completed sufficient now for me to really feel assured, in the event that they ask me [about calling him up], [to say]”Hey man, that could be it too.”
Wooden is in the course of his fourth season within the minors. He began the 2023 season in Class 1 Wilmington and jumped as much as Class AA Harrisburg after simply 42 video games. This yr, he participated in his first big-league spring coaching and impressed.
Wooden was not included on Washington’s Opening Day roster — the Nationals wished to offer him extra time to develop. Martinez has been impressed with Wooden’s dedication to studying and bettering his sport. As he started to dominate the AAA promotion, the hype round him continued to develop. Wooden suffered a proper hamstring damage in mid-Might that stored him out for just a few weeks. He returned on June 18 and performed in solely 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 C.J. Abrams — are already in Washington and have a powerful begin to the season. Different gamers concerned within the Soto commerce embody outfielder Robert Hassell III, who’s on the injured listing in Class AA Harrisburg, and right-hander Jarlin Susanna, who has allowed two or fewer runs in his previous 5 begins for low-class Fredericksburg.
“We misplaced a extremely good participant, as everyone knows. However to have the standard of gamers we acquired serving to us within the main leagues now, with extra to return, is thrilling,” Martinez stated, referring to Soto.
Wooden is about to succeed in the majors shortly after outfielder Dylan Cruz, the No. 2 total decide within the 2023 draft, joins the Pink Wings. The 22-year-old was promoted to Rochester final week.
Wooden will be part of a younger Nationals workforce that has shocked everybody at instances this season because the franchise’s reboot continues to take form. Abrams and middle fielder Luis Garcia Jr. have been the workforce’s greatest hitters. Younger has shined in middle area, and Washington’s performances have shined — together with Gore and two fellow starters, Jake Irvin and Mitchell Parker. Proper-hander Josiah Grey, an All-Star in 2023, spent a lot of the season on the injured listing, however might rejoin the workforce within the close to future.
Now’s Wooden’s second, because the years-long rebuilding of Washington takes one other main step.
