CJ Abrams’ second half struggles have been well documented at this point. However, James Wood’s slump has flown a bit under the radar. Part of that is due to the month he missed due to injury. Nevertheless, Wood has simply not been the same player since the midsummer classic for a second straight season.
James Wood has not hit a single home run in his last 25 games, which is shocking for a player with the type of power he has. In fact, he has only homered in one of the 33 games he has played in since the All-Star Break. That was a two homer game against the D-Backs. Outside of that he has been shut out, and I wanted to explore some potential causes.
The first explanation is that James Wood is a first half guy, at least at this point in his career. There is plenty of evidence to back up this theory. After a stellar first half last year, where Wood posted a .915 OPS and hit 24 home runs, the second half was a struggle. He only hit .223 with 7 homers and a crazy 39% strikeout rate. The only silver lining was that he looked more like himself in September.
This season Wood was even better in the first half. He posted a .985 OPS and hit 28 home runs. In 2025, Wood struggled to start July but this year he was playing his best baseball in the leadup to the All-Star Game. However, that did not translate to second half success.
He got off to a bumpy start in the second half and has not really recovered. You can blame some of that on injury, but the numbers speak for themselves. Honestly, he is struggling in a slightly different way compared to last year. Wood’s second half strikeout rate of 29.1% is high but manageable. He is also walking at a 13.5% clip since the break.
Wood’s issue right now is that his slug has completely evaporated. In the 33 games he has played in the second half, Wood has only 9 extra base hits. His .222/.324/.325 slash line since the break is something you would expect from Jorbit Vivas, not an All-Star slugger. That slash line adds up to a .649 OPS, 40 points lower than his second half OPS last year. Since the All-Star break, James Wood has a 79 wRC+.
It is easy to say Wood is just a first half guy and perhaps there is truth in that. However, I think there are other explanations as well. An obvious one is the injury that he suffered. In the beginning of August, Wood went down with an oblique strain that caused him to miss a month. Since Wood has come back, he has not looked 100%.
This injury does not explain his struggles in late July, but it has to be mentioned. He has not hit any home runs since coming back. Wood’s .259 average and .358 OBP in September are solid. However, his .328 slugging percentage this month is tough to ignore. That is the type of number you see from a slap hitting utility man, not a 6’6 235 pound slugger.
Wood has not looked great in the field or on the bases either. It feels like he is trying not to get hurt out there. He has never been the highest energy player, but it feels like his motor is running slower than ever right now. Part of that can be explained by injury, but there is more to the story.
Right now, you have to question Wood’s effort level. This is not me just throwing stuff into the universe either. Wood was benched by Blake Butera for not running out a ground ball the other day. There have been plenty of instances where Wood has not hustled on the bases or looked lackadaisical in the field.
It is human nature to be a little less locked in when the season is coming to a close and you are out of the playoff race. However, Wood will need to learn to lock in as he gets deeper in his career. Wood is a big guy, so maintaining that body for a full 162 game season can be challenging. With the drop off in power, you have to wonder how his body is feeling. There seems to be a lot of physical and mental fatigue right now.
We know the type of talent that James Wood possesses. He is truly a unicorn on the baseball field. Nobody hits the ball harder and barrels it up more often than James Wood. However, if he truly wants to ascend into superstardom, Wood will have to show that he can hold up for a full 162.
For each of the last two seasons, Wood has been an MVP candidate in the first half, but a liability in the second. When he is on, Wood is a great player but if he is not hitting, he does not bring much else to the table. He just turned 24, so there is plenty of time. However, Wood needs to figure out how to put it all together for a full season.
