Nationals call up top prospect James Wood ahead of Mets series

One of MLB’s brightest young stars will finally hit the big stage.According to multiple reports, Washington Nationals outfielder James Wood — baseball’s No.3 overall prospect — is being called up by the club.Wood will make his MLB debut on Monday when the Nats begin a four-game series against the red-hot Mets.In 51 Triple-A games, the 6-foot-7 Wood hit a gaudy .346 with a 1.036 OPS and 10 home runs.The 2021 second-round pick went on a tear during Spring Training, hitting .364 with a .705 slugging and 19.3 percent walk rate.The 21-year-old Wood was one of the headlining return pieces in the Nationals’ trade that sent superstar outfielder Juan Soto to San Diego two years ago.So far, several other notable prospects have performed well after heading to Washington.Shortstop C.J.

Abrams has improved in 2024 with a 131 weighted runs created plus (100 is average) and 1.7 wins above replacement, which ranks seventh among qualifying National League shortstops.Similarly, lefty starter Mackenzie Gore has enjoyed his best year as a pro with a 3.81 ERA and 10.48 strikeouts per nine innings.At 38-42, the Nationals sit in fourth place in the NL East and have gone 12-12 in the month of June.Wood should add some instant firepower to a lineup that hasn’t provided many sparks this year.The Nationals’ 67 home runs are 29th in baseball, and only Abrams and veteran outfielder Jesse Winker have hit at a level well above average.The timing of Wood’s call-up should prove telling in determining whether Nats GM Mike Rizzo buys or sells at the July 30 trade deadline.Despite being under .500, the Nationals are only three games back of the final wild-card spot in a logjammed NL playoff picture.Washington travels to Tampa Bay for a three-game series this weekend before Wood’s highly anticipated debut on Monday....