Two Washington Nationals Tabbed as Projected NL All Stars in 2026

One year after placing one on the National League All Star team, the Washington Nationals have a chance to place two back in the mid-summer classic roster with one outlet projecting one to be a starter.

That would be right fielder James Wood, who was tabbed as a reserve selection in 2025. Yet this year, he could find himself named a starter after ESPN projected Wood as a starting All Star outfielder alongside Corbin Carroll of the Diamondbacks and Andy Pages of the Dodgers.

It isn't much of a stretch, either. Wood entered Tuesday tied for the sixth-most home runs across baseball with 17 blasts in 2026, including three over the last two series in May, while posting a slash line of .265/.404/.526 along with a .930 OPS. The somewhat encouraging sign is Wood ranks third in all of baseball with 93 strikeouts this season, a better rate than his near-record breaking performance one season prior, but Wood's offense has done more than enough as he comfortably leads all of baseball with 58 runs scored ahead of Tuesday. Wood also leads the team with a .930 OPS in 2026 while being tied with Abrams with a 2.6 WAR.

Similar could be said for Abrams, who leads the Nationals with a .289 batting avearge, .533 slugging and sits second in all of baseball with 51 RBIs - trailing Pages by only two. His performance on Monday night would add to the tally after his two-run RBI single in the top of the ninth inning against Arizona sparked the comeback efforts to tie the game at three.

Yet the stats may not do Abrams justice after proving to be a routine clutch hitter in 2026, including coming up in the clutch in the extra innings win over the Chicago White Sox back on April 26.

Abrams was omitted from the 2025 squad after being named to his first All Star in 2024, but returning to the game has been a goal - and message from manager Blake Butera - since spring training. 

"Just watching the way he plays the games, he's one of the best players in baseball, in my opinion, has the potential to be," Butera said of Abrams during spring training. "I told him a couple days ago, hey, you should be an All Star this year. And he's like, I know, that's my goal. So I think just pushing him, continue to push him."

Meanwhile, Washington will have a chance to secure the series win when the Nationals take on the San Francisco Giants in game two of the three game series on Tuesday night with first pitch again set for 9:45 PM.

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