Washington Nationals James Wood Joins Elite Group With Historic 2-Homer Game
The future looks to be extremely bright for the Washington Nationals with the achievements some of their young players are accomplishing early in their careers.
One of the standouts has been outfielder James Wood.
A monster of a man, measured at 6’7” and 234 pounds, he was a key part of the trade package from the San Diego Padres in the Juan Soto blockbuster. On July 1st he made his debut with the Nationals and has not disappointed.
His rare blend of strength and athleticism has been on full display. He has recorded a slash line of .273/.364/.429 with seven home runs, 11 doubles, three triples and 12 stolen bases, making a huge impact at the plate. 36 RBI and 37 runs have also been recorded.
Over the weekend against the Miami Marlins, Wood closed the four-game series out with a bang.
Washington was able to come away with a victory in large part because of their emerging star. In the top of the fifth inning, he clubbed a 435-foot bomb to center field to give his team a 3-1 lead.
In the eighth inning, he would go yard again. This time it was 426 feet to left-center, giving the Nationals some extra breathing room with a 4-2 lead.
That second home run proved to be the difference as Washington defeated their National League East rivals 4-3. The performance also propelled him into the team’s record books.
According to Sarah Langs of MLB.com, Wood is the fifth player in Nationals/Montreal Expos history to record a multi-home run game before turning 22 years old.
Leading the way on that list is Soto, who did it seven times. Second, is Bryce Harper, who did it five. His teammate, second baseman Luis Garcia Jr. did it in 2021 and Gary Carter was the only Expos player to achieve the feat.
James Wood is the 5th player in Nationals/Expos franchise history with a multi-HR game before turning 22, joining:
— Sarah Langs (@SlangsOnSports) September 15, 2024
Juan Soto (7)
Bryce Harper (5)
Luis García Jr.
Gary Carter https://t.co/KIlt0pdbOy
That is quite a group for Wood to be included in. Carter is already in the Hall of Fame, while Soto and Harper are well on their way.
Despite being eliminated from the postseason, young players such as the IMG Academy product make Washington worth watching.
Fans are getting a glimpse of what the future could hold with him, Dylan Crews, Jacob Young, CJ Abrams, Garcia, Jose Tena, MacKenzie Gore, Mitchell Parker and Jake Irvin all contributing. Despite their playoff drought hitting five years, this is a franchise on the rise.
KENNETH TEAPE