Washington Nationals Rising Star Emerges as Breakout Offensive Talent

The Washington Nationals have seen some impressive power numbers early on from their emerging star.

Apr 28, 2025; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Washington Nationals outfielder James Wood (29) rounds the bases after hitting a home run against the New York Mets during the eighth inning at Nationals Park. | Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

As the Washington Nationals continue to try and improve this season, they have had one massive bright spot on their roster to begin the year.

It has been a mediocre start to the year for the Nationals, who have been floating a few games under .500 for most of the campaign so far. Based on the talent and expectations of the roster, the record so far makes sense.

However, while the team might not be contending for a playoff spot this season, it’s important to see some improvements.

With a young team that is learning in the Majors, there are going to be some tough ups and downs, but there have been some positives to takeaway from some performances early on.

So far, one player especially has emerged as not only a breakout performer but a potential star in the league.

Jeff Passan of ESPN+ (subscription required) recently wrote about Nationals star James Wood as one of the breakout stars in the first month of the season.

“At 6-foot-7, Wood packs uncommon power, particularly when he goes the other way. He's starting to get to it, an alarming prospect for pitchers who know that pounding the outside corner is simply an invitation for Wood to do what he does better than just about anyone," Passan wrote.

It has been an amazing start to the campaign for Wood, and it shouldn’t come as too much of a surprise after the success he had in 2024.

Washington elected to call up the 22-year-old last season at about the midway point, resulting in him getting a solid amount of experience in the Majors. In 79 games, he slashed .264/.354/.427 with nine home runs and 41 RBI.

Considering his age, those were some impressive numbers early on, and it created a lot of optimism for the type of player he can be.

So far in 2025, Wood is beginning to blow away expectations of being a developing youngster and has taken the league by storm. So far he has slashed .257/.364/.558 with nine home runs and 21 RBI in just 30 games.

The power numbers for the 22-year-old are extremely impressive and are a main component of his breakout year.

While the early total in 30 games is impressive, he has done well not only against right-handed pitchers, but left-handed pitchers as well, totaling three home runs against southpaws.

Furthermore, with five of the nine home runs to the opposite field, pitching to Wood is giving opponents a lot of issues with his willingness to spray it across the field.

At just 22 years old, the sky is the limit for the young outfielder and the Nationals might have a superstar on their hands.