Washington Nationals left fielder James Wood (29) is congratulated by teammates after hitting a solo home run against the Detroit Tigers during the second inning at Nationals Park on July 3. Brad Mills-Imagn Images

James Wood Just Passed Bryce Harper in Powerful Washington Nationals History

Originally posted on Fastball on SI | By Brady Farkas | Last updated Jul 4, 2025 10:32 AM ET

Washington Nationals standout James Wood went 5-for-5 with a home run on Thursday night in an 11-7 win over the Detroit Tigers. And with the blast, he passed Bryce Harper on an impressive list in franchise history.

Per StatsCentre:

Most home runs - Player in their age 22 or younger season with a Washington D.C. MLB team:
42- Bryce Harper (2015)
34- Juan Soto (2019)
29- Soto (2021)
24- Ryan Zimmerman (2007)
23- @Nationals James Wood (2025)
22- Harper (2012)
22- Soto ('18)
20- Zimmerman ('06)
20- Harper ('13)

Most home runs - Player in their age 22 or younger season with a Washington D.C. MLB team:
42- Bryce Harper (2015)
34- Juan Soto (2019)
29- Soto (2021)
24- Ryan Zimmerman (2007)
23- @Nationals James Wood (2025)
22- Harper (2012)
22- Soto ('18)
20- Zimmerman ('06)
20- Harper ('13) pic.twitter.com/lqrw479xeM
— StatsCentre (@StatsCentre) July 4, 2025

Any time you can pass Harper on a list like this, you've done something right, and Wood certainly has. In addition to his power, he's hitting .294 with a .958 OPS. He's already committed to participating in the Home Run Derby at the All-Star Week, and he figures to be selected for the game as well.

Though the Nationals are just 37-50, the future looks bright with Wood, CJ Abrams and MacKenzie Gore, three young players that all came to Washington in the 2022 trade that sent Juan Soto to the San Diego Padres.

The Nationals will be back in action on Friday morning for a special July 4 contest in the nation's capital. They'll host the Boston Red Sox at the early start time of 11:05 a.m. ET.

Lucas Giolito will take the ball for Boston while Mike Soroka pitches for Washington. Soroka is 3-5 with a 4.70 ERA. Giolito, who signed with Boston before the 2024 season, is 4-1 with a 3.99 ERA.

Boston is 43-45 and looking to stay relevant in the American League wild card race.

This article first appeared on Fastball on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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