Aaron Judge and Oneil Cruz are 6-foot7 sluggers who stand out for their power in this year’s MLB Best Tools voting. That extra-tall duo should have company in short order.
Nationals rookie James Wood also stands 6-foot-7 and also has game-changing power.
Wood spent half of this season with Triple-A Rochester before making his MLB debut on July 1. While he was in the International League, he captured managers’ attention.
Wood unanimously won Best Power Prospect and also claimed Most Exciting Player in a survey of league skippers.
Wood hit .353/.463/.595 with 10 home runs in 52 games for Rochester. His .242 isolated slugging was the best for a player 21 or younger at Triple-A this season.
He hit a ball as hard as 115.3 mph with Rochester. Just eight Triple-A hitters struck a ball harder this season. Five of the eight are Jhonkensy Noel, Junior Caminero, Rece Hinds, Agustin Ramirez and Owen Caissie, who, like Wood are up-and-coming power hitters.
The Nationals challenged Wood to clean up his pitch selection and reduce his whiff rate this season. Mission accomplished on both counts.
Bu hikaye Baseball America dergisinin August/September 2024 sayısından alınmıştır.
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Bu hikaye Baseball America dergisinin August/September 2024 sayısından alınmıştır.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Giriş Yap
Wood Has Towering Upside- Nationals rookie James Wood also stands 6-foot-7 and also has game-changing power.
Aaron Judge and Oneil Cruz are 6-foot7 sluggers who stand out for their power in this year’s MLB Best Tools voting. Wood spent half of this season with Triple-A Rochester before making his MLB debut on July 1. While he was in the International League, he captured managers’ attention. Wood unanimously won Best Power Prospect and also claimed Most Exciting Player in a survey of league skippers. Wood hit .353/.463/.595 with 10 home runs in 52 games for Rochester. His .242 isolated slugging was the best for a player 21 or younger at Triple-A this season.
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