Elijah Green is ranked the 22nd prospect in the Nationals organization. Green has promising scouting grades in two categories–power (60) and speed (70)–the makings of a player who can take the show by storm.
So, why is Green compared to the likes of former Nationals, Victor Robles and Joey Gallo, instead of players like Mike Trout?
Green’s photo courtesy MASN Sports
The main reason for this lies in his hit grade of 30 (out of 80) and his way above-average K%. Those are staggering obstacles to overcome. Then again, we see signs of success in a similar situation within the same organization.
James Wood, only a year older than Elijah Green, has a scouting grade of 60 in the power and speed categories. He also has a K% in the 10th percentile of major league players, as well as being 2nd in the NL for that category. Yet, Wood was still named an All-Star this season and will continue to do so for the foreseeable future.
Additionally, for the first time since Barry Bonds in 2004, Wood was intentionally walked four times in a single game. One reason is that his strikeout percentage (27.8%) ranks in the bottom 10 in all of Major League Baseball. That is by no means a comparison to the major league level of play, but (despite playing fewer games) Green’s stats currently place him 5th in home runs and 3rd in stolen bases among the 2025 Nationals this season. Green also boasts a promising arm and fielding grades of 60, making his defense reliable, despite his struggles at the plate.
James Wood (photo courtesy NY Post)
So why is Green considered a bust and only the 22nd prospect in the organization? It lies in the typical culprit, that is, the Nationals’ player development. Currently, our top three players on the season–Abrams, Gore, and Wood–all come from the San Diego farm system. Nathaniel Lowe went by the way of free agency and is currently the Nationals’ third-best hitter on the team, and there is still a significant margin separating him from Wood and Abrams. Green was drafted in 2022 and still suffers from a high K percentage nearly three years later.
What gives? It is no secret that the Nationals’ organization lags behind the rest of the league in analytics and development technology.
Still, as we sit here in the middle of our first “post-rebuild” season, it seems as though we are still lacking in matters that are necessary to build a contender in this era of baseball. There is no bigger proof of that than Elijah Green’s promise as a player and how the Nationals have developed him to this point.
The light at the end of the tunnel is that Green is only 21 years old, and there is hope. If the shakeup in baseball operations in Washington brings an upshift in player development, then Green may get that Mike Trout comparison after all.
