Washington Nationals outfielder James Wood celebrates with teammates in the dugout after hitting a solo home run in the third inning against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field on May 30. Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Washington Nationals' Young Standout Joins Incredible Pair in Baseball History

Originally posted on Fastball on SI | By Brady Farkas | Last updated Jun 1, 2025 10:36 AM ET

Washington Nationals' star James Wood went 2-for-6 on Saturday night as the Nationals defeated the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field.

Washington won 11-7, scoring 10 runs in the first inning. Wood had two singles and an RBI, joining an incredible pairing in baseball history, according to Justin Havens of Underdog Fantasy:

Players with 16+ HR, 9+ SB and a .950+ OPS through the first 58 games of a season, age-22 or younger:

1998 Alex Rodriguez
2021 Fernando Tatis Jr.
2025 James Wood

Players with 16+ HR, 9+ SB and a .950+ OPS through the first 58 games of a season, age-22 or younger:

1998 Alex Rodriguez
2021 Fernando Tatis Jr.
2025 James Wood
— nugget chef (@jayhaykid) June 1, 2025

Wood, 22, acquired in the Juan Soto trade (2022) with the San Diego Padres, is hitting .288 with 16 homers, 44 RBIs and nine stolen bases. He's got a .384 on-base percentage and a .956 OPS. He's looking like an All-Star and a possible MVP candidate.

He was a second-round pick in the 2021 draft.

As for his company in history? Rodriguez in 1998 put up one of the best seasons of the last 30 years. He led the majors in WAR (8.5) and led the American League in hits with 213. He also hit .310 with 42 homers and 124 RBIs.

In 2021, Tatis put together a 6.6 WAR season and led the National League in home runs with 42.

The Nationals enter play on Sunday at 28-30 and in third place in the National League East. They'll face the Diamondbacks again at 4:10 p.m. ET. Left-hander Mitchell Parker, who took the loss against Seattle his last time out, will pitch. He's 4-4 with a 4.65 ERA.

Corbin Burnes will take the ball for Arizona.

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

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