At first, I was confused when I saw James Wood at the Washington Nationals’ leadoff spot. But the more I think about it, the more it makes sense. James Wood really fits into the modern leadoff hitter mold.
In 2021, Davey Martinez made a bold move, which became one of his biggest moves. He moved Kyle Schwarber to the lead spot. Kyle Schwarber is not your prototype leadoff man. He is the embodiment of a sturdy hitter. But there was one thing he did well and made him a good leadoff man. He saw a lot of pitches.
That’s what James Wood does too. There is a very patient approach to wood, which sometimes even becomes passive. He’s waiting for his pitch I won’t chase Frequently. That’s what the best lead hitter does.
But our current leadoff hitter CJ Abrams is chasing a lot. That’s probably the biggest weakness of his game. Abrams looks like a prototype leadoff man with a thin build and great speed. However, his approach is not a leadoff man’s approach.
Over the past few years, Abrams has truly become a power hitter. He’s trying to drive the ball rather than get a base hit. Honestly, watching CJ on 3 or 4 holes would be fun. That way he can lean even further into the power and just do what he is.
Abrams will never be a super patient batsman and should not. It’s not his game. If he tried to become like Juan Soto, he would take many pitches he could drive. But I really think CJ has the advantages of 30 homers, but I was able to see that midway through the lineup.
James Wood had a great game last night, with a home run and a walk. I really think that it has something to do with that for him to lead it. His bat quality was excellent and he wasn’t trying to do much. Wood is at his best when he is not trying to attack for power. But he has so many pops that he can hit many homers even if he swings the fence.
James Wood’s idea of leadoff is something that Davey should consider tilting in the long term. That may seem strange, but I think Wood is doing a lot of human type things. This role also brings the best out of wood. I think the people may have found something here.
