Mack's Mock Pick - 1.16 - OF - James Wood

 

James Wood

Mack's spin - 

One of the top bats in the draft.

It's scary when someone writes about a 6-6, 230 player and says there still is some projection left.

Excellent speed and good D in the outfield, but this is a bat first prospect.

 

OF  6-6  230  IMG Academy 

 

 

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. 

 

1-22-21 - fish stripes

 

OF James Wood, IMG Academy (FL)

 

7th-ranked draft prospect on Baseball America, 14th on MLB Pipeline, 15th on Prospects Live

 

James Wood is one of the most projectable prospects in the 2021 MLB Draft. Wood is a 6’6” 230 pound left-handed hitting outfielder with tons of raw power and has the tools to be a really special player.

 

He’s got great speed especially with his size as Perfect Game has clocked him running a 6.70 60 yard dash. He covers a lot of ground defensively but projects to be a right fielder at the next level as he continues to fill in his very large frame.

 

Wood’s swing does need some work as he doesn’t use much of his lower half. Wood’s swing should improve one of he’s solely focused on baseball. He’s a great athlete as he was also a standout basketball player in Maryland. During the 2020 summer circuit, Wood batted .298 with three doubles, five triples, three home runs, 23 RBIs and had a 1.139 OPS.

 

If he’s available with the 16th pick, the Marlins could take him even though he doesn’t necessary fill a need in their farm system. Wood is a very talented player that might be the best available on the Marlins draft board if he isn’t selected yet. James Wood is signed to Mississippi State University. 

 

1-20-21 - prospect live -

 

#16

Miami Marlins

James Wood

OF, IMG Academy 

 

James Wood making it to 16th overall would be a dream for Miami. Even we're skeptical it will happen. Wood offers the most imposing frame in the entire 2021 class. Standing a cool 6-foot-6, 230 pounds, Wood still has plenty of physical strength projection to come and displays high level athleticism. It's a very short swing for his frame. Wood also shows a keen ability to manipulate the barrel all over the zone whilst tapping into big raw power. The overall bat profile is among the "safest" in the prep class, while offering huge upside. 

 

1-14-21  -  Baseball America

 

James Wood

 

IMG Academy, Bradenton, Fla. OF

 

Ht: 6-6 | Wt: 230 | B-T: L-R

Commit/Drafted: Mississippi State

Age At Draft: 18.8

 

One of the biggest risers over the summer, Wood is a 6-foot-6, 230-pound center fielder with massive lefthanded power potential. Wood has athletic bloodlines—his father Kenny played basketball at Richmond and at the pro level and his sister currently plays for Northeastern—and was also a talented basketball player, but he began focusing on baseball exclusively after transferring to IMG Academy. He gained around 20 pounds of muscle prior to the summer and has shown that strength in games, with tantalizing home runs against some of the top pitching in the class. Scouts entered the summer wondering about the swing and miss in his swing but have been impressed with the ease of his operation, his bat speed and his ability to put the barrel on the ball in games for impact. Despite his size, scouts have been impressed with his defense in center field. Wood moves well—he ran a 6.7 60-yard dash at PG National—and shows good instincts reading the ball off the bat, and moves well on the base paths. Given his projectable frame, athleticism, current toolset and summer performance, the Mississippi State commit has put himself solidly into the elite tier of the prep class.

 

 

 

1-5-21 - Baseball America - @BaseballAmerica

 

James Wood has monster power. And if he goes as high as he’s ranked in our new mock, he’ll become IMG Academy’s highest-ranked draft pick 

 

12-26-20  -  Baseball Prospect Journal Mock Draft 1.0 -

 

14. San Francisco Giants: James Wood, OF, IMG Academy (Fla.)

 

Wood has all the traits scouts seek in a prep prospect. He has size, big-time raw power from the left side of the plate, and the attributes to play right field in pro ball. On the showcase circuit last summer, Wood was one of the standout performers. 

 

12-25-20 - https://medium.com/minor-league-madhouse/2021-mlb-mock-draft-3

 

Philadelphia Phillies

 

The Phillies appear to be in a financial mess, and with a lot of money tied into the outfield and starting pitching, the question is how long before they go into fire sale mode. That said, they could still come out netting a positive as they are in prime territory to grab a future asset here. James Wood has seen his profile improve since he transferred to IMG Academy, and his impressive summer put him squarely in first round territory. Wood has an athletic pedigree and a strong arm, and while his swing could use some mechanical tinkering, he has the speed to be a run producing centerfielder or right fielder depending on his growth. 

 

 

12-18-20 - Future Sox Mock Draft -

 

17. Cincinnati Reds: James Wood, OF, IMG Academy (FL)

 

The Reds go with a prep outfielder for the second consecutive year as well and Wood already looks the part. His father played professional basketball overseas and the 6-foot-6, 230-pound outfielder really thrived with IMG Academy. He possesses huge raw power with a pretty left-handed swing and shows the potential for 30 home run power. He is a plus runner that currently plays center field, but he likely moves to a corner with the arm and power potential for right field. 

 

12-16-20  -  mlb -

 

Q: What's your take on outfielder James Wood?

 

Mayo: For Wood, it’ll be him having to show that the player who was as good as any high school position player over the first halve of the summer is who he is, not the one who showed too much swing-and-miss in the second part of the showcase circuit. Those who saw him late didn’t think he was a first-rounder, let alone one who belonged near the top.

  

12-3-20  -  Perfect Game combined their picks for the first two rounds in this mock draft  -

 

10. New York Mets | James Wood, OF, IMG Academy | (2/39) Harry Ford, C, North Cobb

 

The Mets like to swing big, and they certainly swung for the fences with some high ceiling players in their first two picks. James Wood comes off the board early thanks to his massive frame and huge power upside. Harry Ford is another tooled-up prep standout that has enough athleticism to be an above average defender behind the plate or in the outfield. The Mets have drafted a high schooler in the first round seven times in the past ten years, and we see that trend continuing this year. -Cade Schares

 

Sakowski's Take: Two of the more intriguing prep prospects on the circuit this summer, Wood at one point looked like he might be the best prep bat in the class before cooling off in the fall, while Ford is one of the most interesting profiles in the class. Wood has something of a class lefthanded-hitting, power-driven right field profile with absurd power projection, while Ford's athleticism, potential both behind the plate and in center field, and feel to hit with power stand out and give him one of the more unique profiles in this class.

  Click here for the full list of Mack's Scouting Reports.