Wood, Nu?ez mentoring next generation of Black baseball players

Rookies Nasim Nuñez and James Wood are two of the youngest players on the Nationals.

But at their age, they already have gained valuable experience making it to the Major Leagues -- and they are sharing it with the future generations of aspiring baseball players.

“It sounds cool to go through something by yourself,” Nu?ez, 24, said ahead of Players’ Weekend, which recognizes players’ favorite community causes on Saturday. “But in reality, you always need help.”

Nu?ez and Wood are among the professional players whose mothers are involved in the Black Baseball Moms Facebook group, an online community with nearly 5,500 members.

Founded in 2019 by Monique Boyce and Kristina Arnwine Toliver, the social network is a platform for mothers of Black baseball players to share resources, answer questions and provide support and information.

Through this, the players have formed their own bonds and relationships across all levels of baseball. Players from around the league who are involved include Nationals prospect T.J. White, Braves outfielder Michael Harris II and Rays right-hander Taj Bradley.

“One of the things that we say a lot with the Black Baseball Moms is, ‘If you see it, you can be it,’” said Paula Wood, James’ mother. “I think that’s a huge part of it.”

From Zoom meetings to in-person gatherings, phone calls to messages, the dedicated group stays connected. Wood led monthly video chats as a mentor to younger players while he was in high school. Nu?ez held his second annual free youth baseball camp this fall.

“It’s important. I’ve always instilled in Nasim and his brother giving back,” said Tina Garrison-Nu?ez, Nasim’s mother, adding, “He can definitely share knowledge, share the things that he’s experienced.”

Nu?ez and Wood didn’t take direct paths from the MLB Draft to the Majors. Nu?ez, a 2019 second-round pick by the Marlins, was selected by the Nationals in the ‘23 Rule 5 Draft. Wood, a ‘21 second-round pick by the Padres, was traded to the Nats in a blockbuster deal in ‘22.

The 22-year-old Wood noted if the group had existed when he was younger, “I think there would have been a lot less uncertainty; that’s what a lot of the journey is. Most everyone is going through it for the first time … [Getting] them deeper engrained in baseball and knowing that they’ve got a support system I think helps a lot.”

Nu?ez and Wood made their debuts this year with the Nationals. With big league schedules, they still stay involved with the group during the season through phone calls and messages.

“A lot of kids going through their Draft process, their moms will reach out to my mom and ask for advice on how to go through the situations or things that are happening since we went through it,” said Nu?ez. “They’ll call me, and I’ll give them some advice and feedback.”

This March, a large group of players and their mothers traveled to Washington, D.C., to cheer on Nu?ez, Wood and White in the “On Deck: Nationals Futures Game” exhibition at Nationals Park. They customized t-shirts for the special occasion.

“It was cool,” said Nu?ez. “It’s crazy when you see it online and it’s a big community -- and then everybody comes together and gets to meet in person and ask questions, you get to actually see it’s real.”

That afternoon at Nationals Park also provided a look at the greater scope of opportunities in the game beyond playing on the field.

“[The young players were] looking at them and saying, ‘If they can do it, I can do it,’” Garrison-Nu?ez said. “We all know it’s hard to get to that level. But hey, ‘Maybe I can be a coach, maybe I can be an umpire, maybe I can be front office, I can be a trainer,’ so they can see that the possibilities are there in that realm of baseball.”

In a growing community dedicated to helping each other succeed, Nu?ez and Wood are just as appreciative of the support and encouragement they receive.

“It’s like he’s got little brothers scattered all around the world,” said Paula Wood. “It’s one of those things where you start off thinking you’re doing something for them, but in the end, they end up giving back to you.”