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Nationals' James Wood is putting together an MVP-level season

Nationals' James Wood is putting together an MVP-level season originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

Washington Nationals outfielder James Wood has been their best power hitter (leading the team with 16 home runs and a .534 slugging percentage) and has done well to make his second straight All-Star team.

Leading the National League in OPS+ (171) and walks (50), Wood is also putting himself in contention to win and finish in the top five for the National League MVP award. However, Wood's efforts may be for nothing, as Los Angeles Dodgers two-way star Shohei Ohtani is poised to win his fourth straight MVP.

Washington Nationals' James Wood is putting together an MVP-type season, but will likely lose to Shohei Ohtani

Regardless of how great players like Wood, Philadelphia Phillies' Kyle Schwarber and Arizona Diamondbacks' Corbin Carroll do, there seems to be nothing that can be done to dethrone the four-time MVP, who received 30 first-place votes in MLB's latest poll to win the award. In contrast, Wood finished MLB.com's poll with 15 times fewer votes (two) than the two-time World Series winner.

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"Wood was in a similar position this time last year thanks to a stellar first half in 2025, taking 24 homers, 12 stolen bases and a .915 OPS into the All-Star break," wrote Theo DeRosa of MLB.com. "But he struggled mightily to close the season, batting .223 with a .660 OPS and striking out 105 times in 62 games. So far, Wood is back to his first-half numbers from last season and then some: He has 16 home runs and 10 steals, leads MLB in runs with 53 and ranks third in the NL with a .952 OPS. If he can keep up his numbers over a full season this time, the young star has a chance to challenge anyone for NL MVP. Our voters think he just might."

Unlikely to win, given Ohtani is dominating National League pitching and Schwarber is leading the major leagues in home runs (22), Wood seems like he could finish in the top three. Schwarber and Carroll are Wood's main competition to place high -- Carroll is third in the National League in slugging percentage (.545) and leading in triples (eight).