Former Padres prospects Wood and Abrams returned to San Diego to help the Nationals secure a victory.

When James Wood sent a ball flying back to CJ Abrams at a speed of 110.2 mph and hit a three-run homer at the Padres' home stadium, it perfectly illustrated the envisioned scenario for the two rookies' development in the major leagues.

However, on Tuesday (Monday local time in San Diego), these former Padres players achieved this moment while wearing Nationals uniforms.

"In the trade, we acquired excellent players, and we also gained top-tier talent," said Nationals manager Dave Martinez, "It's a win-win situation."

The effects of the blockbuster trade involving Juan Soto in 2022 were once again evident: 22-year-old Wood made his debut as a key player at the Padres' home field, contributing 4 RBIs with 5 hits in 3 at-bats (Nationals won 10-6 against the Padres), including a three-run homer in the eighth inning that propelled him to the top of the National League outfielders' leaderboard with 22 home runs.

"It's an incredible feeling," Wood admitted, "The stadium and the fans are amazing. Being drafted by this team here holds special significance today."

Padres third baseman Manny Machado commented, "He's a top player, has a great swing, and his talent is undeniable. It's a pleasure to witness his growth."

In the 2022 trade, Wood, who was ranked third in the Padres' farm system (88th among MLB's top prospects), was packaged with Abrams, Gore, rookie Robert Hassell III, Jarlin Susana, and Luke Voit in exchange for Soto and Josh Bell.

Starting from Single-A Lake Elsinore, Wood reached the major leagues on July 1, 2024, two years later, joining Abrams and Gore to form the Nationals' core. When Wood arrived in San Diego, he was among the top performers in the statistics and was competing for his first All-Star selection:

▸ This season in 79 games: batting average of 0.284, on-base percentage of 0.379, slugging percentage of 0.569

▸ National League outfield rankings: first in Win Probability Added (WPA), On-base Plus Slugging (OPS), Weighted On-base Average (wOBA), and Weighted Runs Created Plus (wRC+)

▸ Player's overall contribution value (bWAR), hard-hit rate, Advanced OPS (OPS+), and RBIs ranked second

"It's no surprise," said Padres manager Mike Shildt before the game, "When the trade happened, we were thrilled to acquire Soto but saddened to lose Wood. But that's the cost. His talent and baseball intelligence are impressive, and his maturity is remarkable."

Abrams went 3 for 5 in this game, scoring 3 runs and completing his 100th career stolen base with the Nationals. The strikeout leader among National League pitchers, Gore, is set to start on Thursday (the series finale).

"Though we lost a special player in Juan, we gained three foundational pieces for the team," Martinez emphasized, "Mackenzie (Gore), Abrams, and Wood are carrying the team with their youth, and Hassell will be back — this trade has proven to be highly effective."