Nationals Stars Wood and Abrams Are Silver Slugger Finalists

Washington Nationals outfielder James Wood and shortstop CJ Abrams were both named Silver Slugger Finalists on Thursday.

The announcement came from Major League Baseball as part of the annual Louisville Slugger Silver Slugger Awards.

Abrams is a finalist at shortstop in the National League.

Wood is a finalist at outfield in the National League.

The Nationals as a team were also named a finalist for the National League Team Silver Slugger Award.

That team nomination is the first in franchise history since the team moved to Washington in 2005.

The Silver Slugger Award is given annually by Louisville Slugger to the best offensive player at each position in both leagues.

Winners are selected by MLB managers and coaches, who cannot vote for players on their own team.

The award has been presented since 1980.

Abrams and Wood were two of the key drivers behind a dramatic offensive turnaround for the Nationals in 2026.

Washington finished tied for third in the National League in OPS, third in runs scored, third in slugging percentage, fourth in doubles and sixth in home runs.

The team scored 821 runs in 2026.

That is the second-highest single-season total in Nationals history, trailing only the 2019 World Series team that scored 873 runs.

The Nationals hit 210 home runs in 2026.

That is the third-highest total in franchise history, behind the 2019 team (231) and the 2017 team (215).

Washington led all of Major League Baseball with 522 extra-base hits in 2026.

The team posted a +6 run differential in 2026.

That came one year after the Nationals posted a -212 run differential in 2025.

The +218 improvement from 2025 to 2026 is the largest season-to-season improvement in Nationals history.

It is also the second-largest improvement in Major League Baseball in 2026, behind only the Colorado Rockies (+232).

CJ Abrams started at shortstop for the National League in the 2026 All-Star Game.

It was his second All-Star selection.

Abrams led all National League shortstops in home runs (33), extra-base hits (67) and RBI (106) during the regular season.

He also ranked second among NL shortstops in slugging percentage (.497), OPS (.833), wOBA (.358) and wRC+ (124).

Abrams hit .261 with 33 home runs, 34 stolen bases and 106 RBI over the course of the season.

His OPS finished at .834.

He recorded 30 doubles on the year.

Abrams became just the second player in Nationals franchise history to record at least 30 home runs and 30 stolen bases in a single season.

The only other National to accomplish that feat was Alfonso Soriano in 2006.

Abrams also became the third shortstop in Major League history to record at least 30 home runs, 30 stolen bases and 100 RBI in a season.

The other two are Bobby Witt Jr. (2024) and Alex Rodriguez (1998).

Abrams was one of two players across all of Major League Baseball in 2026 to post at least 30 home runs, 30 stolen bases, 30 doubles and 100 RBI.

The other was Chicago Cubs outfielder Pete Crow-Armstrong.

Abrams led the Nationals in WAR with 5.1.

He set career highs in batting average, on-base percentage, slugging percentage and OPS.

Abrams broke the Nationals franchise record for home runs by a shortstop before the end of July.

James Wood was also selected to the 2026 All-Star Game, his second consecutive All-Star appearance.

Wood led all National League outfielders in walks (102) and on-base percentage (.388) during the regular season.

He ranked second among NL outfielders in home runs (30), runs (106), OPS (.891), slugging percentage (.503), wOBA (.383) and wRC+ (142).

Wood hit 30 home runs and drove in 77 runs in 2026.

He stole 20 bases.

Wood became the first player in Major League history to hit at least 30 home runs, steal at least 20 bases and walk at least 100 times while playing in fewer than 140 games in a season.

He played 135 games in 2026.

Wood missed 27 games after suffering an oblique strain toward the end of the season.

He was one of five players across Major League Baseball in 2026 to finish with at least 30 home runs and 20 stolen bases.

Wood was named National League Player of the Week on April 13 and again on July 13.

He was voted Washington's Player of the Year by the D.C. media.

Wood set career highs in 2026 in batting average, on-base percentage, slugging percentage and OPS.

He matched his 2025 WAR of 3.7.

Wood hit over 30 home runs for the second consecutive season.

He also significantly reduced his strikeout rate in 2026 after setting a near-record strikeout rate in 2025.

Wood was drafted by the San Diego Padres in the second round of the 2021 MLB Draft.

He was traded to the Nationals in the blockbuster Juan Soto deal at the 2022 trade deadline.

Wood made his MLB debut in 2024.

Abrams was drafted by the San Diego Padres with the sixth overall pick in the 2019 MLB Draft.

He was also traded to the Nationals in the Juan Soto trade in 2022.

Abrams made his MLB debut with the Padres in 2022 before being dealt to Washington.

Both players are considered foundational pieces of the Nationals' long-term rebuild.

With the 2026 season now over, attention has shifted to the offseason.

Reports have surfaced that the Nationals front office is expected to explore contract extensions with both Wood and Abrams this winter.

President of baseball operations Paul Toboni has stated publicly that the front office has not shopped either player.

Toboni said the team has instead evaluated incoming interest from other clubs.

Abrams has been the subject of trade rumors in recent weeks.