Washington Nationals center fielder James Wood. Rafael Suanes-USA TODAY Sports

The data behind this James Wood home run is fascinating

By Austen Bundy | Last updated Jul 22, 2024 8:35 AM ET

James Wood has already proved to be a valuable addition to the Washington Nationals. The No. 2 prospect in baseball is currently slashing .246/.319/.354 and hit a clutch home run Sunday afternoon.

Wood's three-run moonshot broke a 2-2 deadlock with the Cincinnati Reds in the bottom of the eighth inning, putting Washington up 5-2 for the eventual win.

James Wood has that oppo POP! pic.twitter.com/nhwlwTsnqr
— MLB (@MLB) July 21, 2024

But what's more incredible is the data and coincidences behind the 21-year-old's second home run.

In the Statcast era, only one other left-handed player has hit a home run ball to straightaway left field on a pitch that was up-and-in, near the top left corner of the zone.

That player was Josh Bell and he also did it against Cincinnati, albeit at Great American Ball Park in 2019.

This is an unprecedented swing from James Wood. In the Statcast era, only Josh Bell has also homered to straightaway left field as a lefty on a pitch with that up-and-in location. And his was a wall scraper with the 2019 ball at GABP. https://t.co/9H3jy9TLRZ pic.twitter.com/PptSdXBsWm
— Foolish Baseball (@FoolishBB) July 21, 2024

Bell, then a member of the Pittsburgh Pirates, hit his home run — which was also a three-run shot late in the game — roughly 330 feet and just barely made it over the left-field wall.

Wood's shot went a whopping 404 feet.

What's even more intriguing is that Washington acquired Wood in 2022 — along with four other prospects — from the San Diego Padres in exchange for All-Star Juan Soto and, you guessed it, first baseman Josh Bell.

If all that is any indication, then Washington sure found itself a gem in one heck of a star-crossed trade two years ago.

Austen Bundy

Austen Bundy is a journalist and sports junkie from the Washington, D. C. area

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