Mack's Top Draft Prospects - #15 - OF - James Wood

 

James Wood

Mack's spin - 

Time for a prep power bat.

This is a big guy with a big bat. He also can run like hell which truly helps him in the field as well on the bases, but he will trotting around the four many more times than others.

 

OF  6-6  230  IMG Academy 

 

5-13-21 - mlb -

 

James Wood, IMG Academy (Bradenton, Fla.) (No. 25)

 

Wood really jumped on the map over the summer, when he turned what was perceived to be raw tools into performance. For much of the showcase circuit, he was one of the most exciting hitters in the country, showing he could tap into his raw power while posting plus run times. This spring has been a different story, as he’s often scuffled at the plate with swing-and-miss concerns aplenty. He did hit a couple of homers last week, so perhaps he’s righting the ship close to the end of IMG’s season, and he’s the type of player who could perform very well in private workouts. 

 

4-26-21 - mlb.com mock draft -

 

27) Padres: James Wood, OF, IMG Academy (Fla.)

 

Wood had an overall great summer against good competition on the showcase circuit, which moved him up higher than this, but he scuffled at the plate at the start of the spring. Still, a team could bet on his very loud tools before this slot. 

 

4-19-21 - TTF - Mock 2.0 -

 

19. Toronto Blue Jays: James Wood, OF, IMG Academy (FL)

 

Tall and athletic, Wood has similarities to last year’s first rounder Zac Veen. When he hits the ball, it just sounds different. His power is raw and with the right coaching could really become a complete hitter. He’s fast on the base paths and good in the field. There’s room for him to jump higher in this draft. 

 

4-2-21 -  Through The Fence -

 

19. Toronto Blue Jays: James Wood, OF, IMG Academy (FL)

 

Tall and athletic, Wood has similarities to last year’s first rounder Zac Veen. When he hits the ball, it just sounds different. His power is raw and with the right coaching could really become a complete hitter. He’s fast on the base paths and good in the field. There’s room for him to jump higher in this draft. 

 

3-31-21 - fish stripes -

 

The Miami Marlins went all pitchers in the 2020 MLB Draft and as of this writing, they’ve had good fortune keeping nearly every arm in the organization healthy. So if it’s a close call between several prospects at overall pick No. 16, they’ll probably prefer to take the top available hitter. IMG Academy outfielder James Wood could realistically still be on the board for them.

 

Wood has the tools and size to make a major impact at the MLB level. He’s also a great athlete that used to play basketball before committing to baseball full time. There aren’t many prospects in this draft class with the ceiling that Wood possesses. The Marlins would be getting a very projectable player with tremendous upside and a great value in the middle of the first round.

  

3-30-21 - Prospects Worldwide -

 

6. OF James Wood | School: IMG Academy HS, FL | Commit: Mississippi St | B / T: L / R | Ht: 6’6 | Wt: 230 | Age: 18.7

 

Not often you see a player 6’6 230 lbs with Plus Speed, Plus-Plus Raw Power with a chance to tap into all of it. The offensive ceiling is as high as any in the class when you have that strong hitability in such a powerful Left Handed hitter. Shows strong mechanics and the ability to stay short with those long arms. Not something you see often from a young hitter this size. Defensively, showing an ability to play CF, however likely sliding in as a Plus defender in RF as he reaches Pro ball. You can’t help but think of a Left-Handed Aaron Judge here. Similar to Aaron Judge. 

 

3-18-21 - Bleacher Nation -

 

High School Hitters - The One I Dream About Falling to 21: James Wood, OF, IMG Academy (FL). Drafting in the top 10 means that you had to endure a bad Major League season the year before, but it also means that you get to dream about getting athletes like Wood into your farm system. I see no scenario that Wood drops to the Cubs, but I wanted to put him here merely because this is to me what a first-round pick looks like.

  

3-12-21 - top hitters in draft -

 

#7. James Wood, OF

 

Perhaps one of the biggest center fielders in recent memory, the 6-6, 230-pound Wood is the class’s biggest riser, according to BA, due in part because of his added size. And the center field position reportedly isn’t a gimmick, either, as the 18-year-old Wood is said to have ran a 6.7-second 60-yard dash at PG National. In terms of the discrepancy between different sites, this one most likely is the largest. Wood ranks within the top 10 at BA, however at FanGraphs, he’s listed as a first baseman/DH with a scary profile at no. 72. Either way, there appears to be a ton of upside. 

 

3-12-21 - top 50 HS players  -

 

5. James Wood, OF, IMG Academy, Bradenton, Fla.

 

He's a massive (6'6", 230 pounds) center fielder whose prodigious power would make him a fit in the corner outfield spots as well. He's also a plus runner who is surprisingly good in center.

  

3-6-21 - Perfect Game Scout @PG_Scouting

 

James Wood (2021 Olny, MD) DESTROYED! The #MissStCommit just unloaded on a 3-run home run that travelled over the high bullpen wall at the Hoover Met. 

 

2-27-21 - top hs players -

 

James Wood – Wood made a lot of noise over the summer, consistently showing up in games and displaying huge raw power in batting practice. He’s a plus athlete with legs up to his neck, and despite his size he has a relatively short, quick swing. 

 

2-26-21 - Ian Smith @FlaSmitty)

 

I present, James Wood, destroyer of baseballs.

 

No doubt HR tonight on a 0-2 count at Globe life Field. The IMG Academy slugger is firmly placing himself into top 15 discussions. 

 

2-18-21 - PG - Top HS Prospects -

 

4 James Wood

 

6-6  230  L/R OF Olney, MD Mississippi State IMG Academy

 

Ultra-projectable 6-6 frame; easy power with big jump and backspin to all fields; moves well & shows a strong arm. Easy to see the power potential at the PG National, the overall skill set continues to trend upward in a big way. 

 

2-16-21 - Ian Smith @FlaSmitty

 

This feels like a fine time to say James Wood could have the highest ceiling in the entire 2021 prep class.

  

2-15-21 - CBS - Top 50 -

 

17. James Wood, OF, IMG Academy (FL)

 

In recorded history, there have been 15 players who were at least 6-foot-4 and who tallied 50 or more appearances in center field; 12 of those 15 have played within the last decade, making this is the era of the tall center fielder. Wood, listed at 6-foot-6 and 230 pounds, has convinced some in the scouting community that he has the speed and the instincts to join that group. At the plate, he's blessed with (predictably) well-above-average raw power. Most abnormally tall hitters have strikeout problems because of their long levers; Wood does about as good of a job as someone his size can at keeping his swing compact. He's one to watch as the spring turns into the summer.

  

2-11-21 - Ian Smith @FlaSmitty

 

His name is James Wood. Oppo 2 run HR off a Brandon Barriera SL. Look at this hand strength.

 

98 off the bat, 371ft.

 

Doug @FTLO_Baseball

 

Top FL HS's going at it last few days and I am falling in love with James Wood. Every club has important eyes down at these games, and you better believe Wood is on the Mets radar.

  

1-26-21 - BA -

 

7. James Wood, OF, IMG Academy, Bradenton, Fla.

 

Areas To Improve: Cut down on swing and miss, improve zone recognition, continue proving center field defense

 

Wood has some of the best pure upside in the class thanks to his power potential and the bat-to-ball skills he showed last summer. He did have an aggressive approach at times and expanded the zone (with success, many times) unnecessarily, so showing a better feel for pitch selection and cutting down on some of the swing and miss in his game could help him go even higher up draft boards. While Wood has proven to be a strong center fielder, his size will continue to bring questions about whether he’s better off in a corner, so continuously proving himself in center will be necessary.