Washington Nationals Emerging Young Star Leaving Teammate in Awe With Raw Power

One Washington Nationals player has been left in awe of the raw power his teammate possesses.

May 3, 2025; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Washington Nationals designated hitter James Wood (29) hits a double in the third inning against the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park. | Katie Stratman-Imagn Images

The last few years have been a struggle for the Washington Nationals, embarking on a rebuild following their 2019 World Series Championship.

They have endured a lot of losing on the field, but their efforts to restock the organization with high-upside young talent is beginning to bear some fruit at the Major League level with an impressive young core emerging.

At the heart of that group is left fielder James Wood.

Originally a second-round pick of the San Diego Padres in the 2021 MLB Draft out of IMG Academy, he was a key part of the return package in the Juan Soto blockbuster trade, which also included Josh Bell, in 2022.

Wood wasn’t the highest-rated prospect included in the deal at the time; that distinction falls upon fellow outfielder Robert Hassell III, who is knocking on the door of his Major League debut himself.

But his potential was arguably the most intriguing. Standing 6-foot-7 and weighing 234 pounds, he possesses gargantuan power potential that is beginning to shine through in his first full season with the Nationals.

He has already matched his home run output from his rookie campaign, when he hit nine in 336 plate appearances, despite having less than half the amount, 155, thus far in 2025.

When Wood swings, he is looking to hit the ball as hard as possible. He has succeeded in that regard with a max exit velocity of 116.3 mph, which is in the 2% of the MLB. His swing speed has been upped to 75.5 mph, which is in the 94th percentile.

Normally, that kind of power is garnering the most attention when majestic home runs are being hit. But, that isn’t the case for the emerging young star, whose teammates have been in awe of just how hard he hits the ball whenever he makes contact.

In the on-deck circle earlier in the season against the Toronto Blue Jays, Nathaniel Lowe watched Wood hit a single through the right side of the infield to Anthony Santander in the outfield.

Not much is ever made of a ground ball, but this one was different.

As Lowe took a peek at the scoreboard, it revealed that he smoked the ball, hitting it 115 mph. It is the one swing Wood has made that stands out the most for Washington’s first baseman, despite everything else he has witnessed thus far.

“It didn’t make a crazy sound, it didn’t go far, it was just a single up the middle,” said Lowe, via Tyler Kepner of The Athletic (subscription required). “And I looked up at the scoreboard and it said 115 mph. And I was like, ‘I guess it’s just that casual, you know?’ Because (with) the homers, everybody looks at the board, looks at the metrics, and when the ball goes 400 feet, you pay attention to that. But just, like, a lousy single up the middle at 115 — things like that are gonna go overlooked.”

Given his approach at the plate, hard-hit singles like that are pretty common.

Wood has a shockingly high ground ball rate of 58.7%, which is actually higher than what he did last year. He doesn’t put an emphasis on pulling the ball, doing it only 19.6% of the time per Baseball Reference.

While some fans would love to see him lean into his power potential more, what he is doing currently is working. As long as he keeps hitting the ball as hard as he is, his numbers will be just fine and he will continue leaving his teammates in awe.