"James Wood's start to the season was extraordinary. Before the All-Star break, the left fielder had 24 home runs, 69 runs batted in and a .915 on-base plus slugging percentage. He joined a short list of great former Nats to hit 20 home runs in a season before turning 23 and began to cement himself as an ascendant talent in the game. He was living up to his status as a key acquisition for the Nationals in the Juan Soto trade."
"Wood's biggest problem has always been his high strikeout rate. For context, an average strikeout rate is about 20 percent. Wood, in his rookie season, struck out 28.9 percent of the time, and this season, he has been striking out 31 percent of the time. Going back to his development in the minor leagues, Wood had a 26 percent strikeout rate. Strikeouts have always been a part of Wood's game."
James Wood began the season with 24 home runs, 69 RBIs and a .915 OPS before the All-Star break, marking him as an ascendant talent and key acquisition in the Juan Soto trade. The second half produced only two home runs and a .629 OPS, with strikeouts surging. Career and minor-league strikeout rates ranged from 26 percent to 31 percent, and his first-half success relied on elite walk rate, bat speed and bat-to-ball skills. In July and August his strikeout rate ballooned above 36 percent, preventing him from putting the ball in play and negating his other strengths.
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