All-Star Game is a reminder of how much the Nationals are still benefiting from the Juan Soto trade

PHILADELPHIA — Twins star Byron Buxton’s face scrunched up. His eyebrows furrowed and his lips pursed as he searched for the right words.

The question: What makes James Wood a special hitter?

On its face, a simple question. The Nationals outfielder is a two-time All-Star with one of the best power swings in the game. But actually answering that question is challenging. How do you describe a 6-foot-6 leadoff hitter with a discerning eye who can also rip a first-pitch homer out of the ballpark?

Greatness can be indescribable, but Buxton took a crack at answering.

His words weren’t leading to the coherent thought he wanted to convey. Instead of giving a jumbled word salad, Buxton settled for a short but impactful statement.

“He’s just different,” he said.

After some more stammering, Buxton found the right words.

“He’s special to watch,” he continued. “I watch him all the time, especially being another brother. He’s just somebody fun to watch. He goes out there, plays the game the right way, plays hard. He’s a specimen for sure. I don’t even know how to describe him right now.”

Surrounded by some of the game’s best at the 2026 All-Star Game, Wood’s talent stands out. As does the talent of Nationals shortstop CJ Abrams, the National League leader in homers (20) and RBIs (66) at his position.

Abrams’ penchant for delivering with runners in scoring position has been vital in the cleanup spot. He and Wood have been the driving forces behind the Nationals’ high-powered offense.

“You’re seeing young players that are growing up before your eyes that have the ability to change the game in so many different ways,” Twins manager Derek Shelton said. “It starts and stops with those two guys and being able to build around them.”

Wood and Abrams — along with one-time All-Star left-hander MacKenzie Gore, right-hander Jarlin Susana, outfielder Robert Hassell III and first baseman Luke Voit — were traded to Washington in 2022 in the deadline deal that sent Juan Soto to the San Diego Padres. The fact that the Nationals were able to net three All-Stars and a promising pitching prospect in Susana is remarkable.

“When you trade a guy like Juan Soto, I’m sure this wasn’t the obvious thing that you would get out of that,” Wood told The Banner. “But when you trade a guy like that, you should get a pretty good haul in return.”

Since 2023, the Nationals have won no more than 71 games, bottoming out last season with a 66-96 record that led to the midseason firing of former general manager Mike Rizzo. Over that time period, many of the organization’s prospects stagnated or underachieved, resulting in a rudderless team.

President of baseball operations Paul Toboni was hired this past offseason to modernize the organization and create a “scouting and player development monster.” He hired manager Blake Butera, who was a senior player development director for the Rays and spent four seasons coaching their minor-league teams.

Reshaping the way the Nationals operated was always going to take some time. But what’s led to their surprising 48-49 record — and to feeling disappointed with it because of a litany of bullpen issues that have cost the team winnable games — is how the hitters have meshed with their new coaching staff, who have helped the players maximize their abilities. The Nationals entered the All-Star break tied with the Pirates for the league lead in total runs scored (516).

Wood sets the tone: When his timing is right at the plate, he’s almost incandescent. Just before the All-Star break, he embarked on one of those tears that has Nationals fans clamoring for a long-term extension with the Rockville native. Over his last 10 games, he hit seven homers and posted a 1.789 on-base-plus-slugging percentage.

Pirates All-Star pitcher Braxton Ashcraft chuckled as he remembered his stellar outing against the Nationals on July 4. He threw 5 2/3 of one-run ball with seven strikeouts. But that one run was a leadoff, first-pitch bomb by Wood. He joked that he gave Wood a side-eye earlier Monday afternoon.

“He’s almost at 90 runs scored,” Ashcraft said of Wood. “That’s unbelievable, and it’s a really tough out. He’s a guy that covers a lot of the plate, and you can’t really get a fastball by him. So you have to really, really, really make good pitches, but he makes you pay for damage on pitches you miss with.”

That’s the conundrum pitchers have when facing Wood. He’s shown the ability to hit any type of pitch and to adjust quickly when a particular offering is giving him trouble.

Pairing Wood’s on-base skills and Abrams’ proficiency in knocking in runs — he’s sixth in the majors with 49 RBIs with runners in scoring position — creates problems for oppponents.

How the Nationals build on this first-half momentum is instrumental in both the short- and long-term. The Soto trade gifted them Wood and Abrams. Gore emerged as a frontline starter before being shipped to Texas this past offseason for a prospect haul that Washington hopes will pay dividends in the future. Abrams is subject to perpetual trade rumors and can become a free agent after the 2028 season.

How Toboni handles the Abrams situation, and the development of the prospects acquired in the Gore trade, will ultimately shape the future of the Nationals.

But one thing became clear over the two days of All-Star events: There’s no denying that there’s excitement around the league surrounding the Nationals that hasn’t existed in years past.

“A lot has happened since 2022,” Abrams said. “We all came over to the Nationals [as a] tight group. I still talk with MacKenzie, but me and James are here. We’re gonna enjoy this [All-Star] experience and keep rocking.”