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Nationals Budding Superstar Continues to Build Early All-Star Resume
May 14, 2025; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Washington Nationals left fielder James Wood (29) hits an RBI double against the Atlanta Braves in the eighth inning at Truist Park. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images Brett Davis-Imagn Images

Nationals Budding Superstar Continues to Build Early All-Star Resume

Originally posted on Washington Nationals on SI
By Jacob Moss  |  Last updated May 17, 2025 8:00 AM ET

The Washington Nationals entered the 2025 season looking for several promising young players to take the next step in their development, and chief among this group was second-year slugger James Wood.

He broke onto the scene in the second half of 2024, putting together an excellent rookie campaign across the 79 games he played. He then followed this up with a monster spring training, raising the expectations dramatically for his first full campaign in the bigs.

Wood has undoubtedly lived up to these lofty expectations through the season's first quarter.

His star potential was on full display once again Friday night, as he powered the Nationals past their bitter Beltway rivals in the Baltimore Orioles.

Slotted in as Washington's designated hitter, Wood finished 2-for-4 that included a monster eighth inning blast to center field that evened up the game and swung the momentum back in the Nationals' favor.

This 421-foot shot to center marked Wood's 12th long ball of the season, which is good for eighth-best in the entire MLB.

He also carries a .273/.366/.540 slash line and has also batted in 27 baserunners so far.

In addition to his prowess with the bat, Wood has shown substantial improvements in the outfield. He's already notched several highlight reel-worthy plays in the left, including a spectacular leaping grab at the wall against the Arizona Diamondbacks that robbed a would-be home run.

Wood's improvements have been evident, and he's also become the driving force in a Washington lineup that is still trying to figure things out as their rebuild marches on.

Outside of fellow youngster CJ Abrams, no other hitter on the Nationals has been as consistent at the plate as him.

With all of this combined, Wood has built a very compelling case to make his first All-Star game in Atlanta this July. The stats, the clutch factor and the star potential are all there, so on paper, it should be a no-brainer for Washington's budding superstar to appear on the sport's biggest stage.

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

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