SAN DIEGO – James Wooden driving in CJ Abrams on a 110.2 mph line drive after which once more on a three-run homer at Petco Park is a scene that would have simply been imagined when projecting the pair’s Main League growth.
Solely on Monday night time, Wooden and Abrams – two former prime prospects in San Diego’s group – had been taking part in for Washington.
“They bought a reasonably good participant within the commerce, we bought actually good gamers within the commerce,” stated supervisor Dave Martinez. “So it labored out for us.”
The outcomes of the 2022 Juan Soto blockbuster commerce between the Nationals and Padres reached one other stage when Wooden, 22, made his first journey to Petco Park as an enormous leaguer. He went 3-for-5 with 4 RBIs and two strikeouts within the Nationals’ 10-6 win vs. the Padres.
“It was nice,” stated Wooden. “This can be a very nice park, nice fanbase. It was the workforce I bought drafted by, so I positively did take a bit of second right now and it was cool.”
Wooden bought the Nationals on the board with a pointy liner to left subject that plated Abrams within the fourth inning, and singled a floor ball into proper subject in his subsequent at-bat. He then moved himself into first place amongst NL outfielders in house runs (22) when he knocked a three-run homer off the right-field foul pole within the eighth inning.
“He is a superb participant, man,” stated Padres third baseman Manny Machado. “Helluva swing. Undoubtedly bought some expertise. It was enjoyable watching him play, attending to see him develop.”
Wooden was ranked because the Padres’ No. 3 prospect/MLB No. 88 general on the time he was one in all six gamers concerned within the return for Soto and Josh Bell. Abrams, Gore, prospect Robert Hassell III, prospect Jarlin Susana and Luke Voit had been additionally acquired.
Wooden, who was drafted within the second spherical out of IMG Academy a 12 months earlier, was taking part in at Single-A Lake Elsinore on the time of the deal. Two years later, he slugged his technique to the massive leagues on July 1, 2024, and joined Abrams and Gore as centerpieces on the Nationals.
The golf equipment confronted off Monday night time for the primary time since his debut. Wooden arrived in San Diego among the many prime of statistical leaderboards and in rivalry for his first All-Star choice.
Wooden is slashing .284/.379/.569 in 79 video games his first full season within the Majors. Heading into the collection opener, Wooden additionally ranked first amongst NL outfielders in win likelihood added, OPS, wOBA and weighted runs created plus (wRC+); second in bWAR, hard-hit fee, OPS+ and RBIs; and third in slugging proportion, extra-base hits and walks.
“Not stunned,” Padres supervisor Mike Shildt stated earlier than the sport. “Look, when the commerce was made … it was like, man, that is so nice we’re getting Juan Soto, however ooh, James Wooden. However I do not suppose that was a shock to A.J. [Preller]. That was the price of doing enterprise. So what he is doing will not be a shock. He is a really gifted participant, but in addition, he is wired proper along with his head. He sees the sport effectively, a extremely mature man.”
Abrams contributed three hits, a stolen base (his a hundredth as a member of the Nationals) and three runs scored in 5 at-bats. Gore, who leads the NL and is ranked second amongst all pitchers in strikeouts, is slated to begin the collection finale on Wednesday.
“We misplaced a really particular participant in Juan, as everyone knows, however we gained three actually particular gamers, three guys that this group is constructing ourselves round in MacKenzie, Abrams, Wooden,” Martinez stated. “You noticed one other child that we introduced up and had right here, Hassell. It’s not the final time you’ll see him, both. However the commerce labored out for us rather well.
“These three guys are the cornerstones of our group. They’ve finished effectively, and so they’re serving to us proper now at an early, younger age.”
