Nationals Rising Superstar James Wood Approaching Impressive Team History

Washington Nationals left fielder James Wood is one of the most physically imposing players in the MLB.

Standing 6-foot-7 and weighing 234 pounds, he is an intimidating presence when standing in the batter’s box. Despite being only 22 years old and not having scratched the surface of his potential, he is already showcasing his prodigious power on a seemingly nightly basis.

His teammates are left in awe even when he isn’t sending the ball over the fence. First baseman Nathaniel Lowe could not believe his eyes when, in an early-season game against the Toronto Blue Jays, he hit a ground ball at 115 mph.

There is massive untapped potential with his power stroke, given how often he hits the ball on the ground. It is certainly surprising to see someone of his size not lift or pull the ball with any frequency, but it works for him.

The Nationals want him to stick with what he is doing, shutting out all of the exterior noise because of how talented he is. He is producing at an impressive clip with a .283/.385/.551 slash line, hitting 10 home runs with nine doubles and 23 RBI.

Not all home runs are made equally, which Wood is showcasing with his incredible power, even when he isn’t getting the launch angle normally seen with majestic home runs.

James Wood On Pace to Make Nationals History

As Jessica Camerato of MLB.com shared, the 21-degree launch angle he had on his most recent home run is tied for the smallest in the Major Leagues. He is tied with himself, hitting a home run with a 21-degree angle on April 11 against the Miami Marlins.

Wood also became only the third player in franchise history to hit double-digit home runs in the first 36 games of a season at 22 years of age or younger, joining all-time greats Bryce Harper and Juan Soto.

Harper is the only other Washington player who has hit multiple 114 mph home runs during the Statcast era, which Wood accomplished this year.

He is also knocking on the door of some impressive franchise history, which Camerato shared in a recent newsletter.

“Wood is on track to break a team season mark (at this pace, likely in the first half). Wood has hit six homers with an exit velocity of greater than 110 mph," she wrote.

There are two Nationals players ahead of him on the list in the Statcast era, which dates back to 2015. The first is Kyle Schwarber, who hit 11 home runs like Wood's in 2021, along with Harper, who did it nine times in 2018.

Every time he steps into the batter’s box, fans could be treated to something special. Wood is oozing with incredible upside and has all of the tools to turn into one of the best players in baseball.