Whether they were on the opening day roster (And we now know they aren’t), leading candidate Dylan Cruz (No. 1 in MLB Pipeline Rankings) and James Wood (No.2) took his chance and made a strong impression this spring, long before the two combined for a spectacular ninth-inning rally in a 9-8 win over the Nationals against the Minnesota Twins this week.
Wood hit a game-tying home run in the bottom of the ninth, then Cruz hit a walk-off single to add one run and Washington won.
“They’re not afraid of the big moments and they stay in the moment,” Martinez told reporters. Quoted by MLB.com’s Jessica Camerato after the game.:
“They were both very calm, they knew what they had to do there, and they did a great job.”
Wood’s home run was his fourth this spring, and the 21-year-old, a 2021 second-round pick of the San Diego Padres acquired by the Nationals in the 2022 trade for Juan Soto and Josh Bell, is 14-for-41 (.341 batting average). / batting average of .491). /.707) in 21 games of Grapefruit League action.
Photo by Nick Cammett/Diamond Images, Getty Images
The 22-year-old Cruz, the No. 2 overall pick in the 2023 draft, hasn’t had much success at the plate (In 19 games, he had 5 hits in 31 at bats, a batting average of .161/.297/.323, 2 doubles, 1 home run, a walk, and 12 Ks.) But he got to test himself against major league competition in his first spring training.
As he told reporters after the game, he’s been preparing for moments like this his entire baseball career.
“As you grow up, you learn to calm your nerves and treat it like another at-bat,” Cruz said of the walk-off hit.
“But it’s very exciting. Just stringing together some at-bats and potentially winning the last ballgame feels really good.”
Wood was especially pleased that his home run was a shot in the opposite direction.
“I felt really good, especially going the other way,” Wood said. As quoted on MLB.com.
“That’s something I’ve been trying to get back into. I didn’t try to force it, but I think that’s the area I really wanted to stay in.”
Their manager was impressed with the young players’ approach at the plate.
“They’re not afraid of big moments and they stay in the moment,” Martinez said.
“They were both very calm,” he added.
“[They] They understood what they had to do there and they both did a great job. ”
“There’s no panic in their system at all. Nothing is too big for them,” GM and president of baseball operations Mike Rizzo said of either or both of the top prospects leaving the club last spring. When asked about the possibility of quitting training, he said: weekend.
“You know James Wood – he has the same kind of attitude as some of the greats we’ve had here in the past. [Anthony] with Rendons [Ryan] People like Zimmerman, people with that calm, cool demeanor.
“No matter how fast the game gets, they just seem to slow the game down. I think they have that gene in them.”
“The most important thing in my mind is,” Rizzo explained when speaking with MLB Network Radio hosts Jim Bowden and Jim Duquette. Or the amount of velocity there is.
“They have a really calming presence. They really have a major league routine already and that’s important and they’ve performed really well.”
![Washington Nationals v Miami Marlins](https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/8TeyjtmaN6mPaI_ftKlRQjYVGhQ=/0x0:6456x4304/1200x0/filters:focal(0x0:6456x4304):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25350983/2064044996.jpg)
Photo by Rich Story/Getty Images
The club clearly believe that the experience they have gained has been of benefit to both Wood and Crewe (and other prospects they brought to major league camp.).
“When you get in the box against other teams, you go up there and compete,” Wood said. As quoted on MLB.com:
“Whether you have 10 fans or 1,000 fans or whatever it is, it all feels the same. When you get in there, it feels like in a way it’s just you and the pitcher.”
“The way you prepare every day and the way you handle every game, you have to be like it’s a regular season game or Game 7 of the World Series. Tonight was a good win for us,” Cruz said in the final. he said after hitting.
Both players were on a long list of options for minor league camp after Friday’s game was canceled due to rain in West Palm Beach.
Nats: Today’s roster moves
Reassigned to minor league camp:
-LHP Richard Breyer
-LHP Joe La Sorsa
-3B Brady House
-1B Juan Yepes
-OF Dylan Cruz
-OF Robert Hassell III
-OF James Wood
-C Israel PinedaThe Nationals also unconditionally released RHP Zach Davis.
— Federal Baseball (@federalbaseball) March 22, 2024
Also:
Trey Lipscomb is alive.