Wood among elite company with 116.3 mph blast: 'He crushed that ball'
This browser does not support the video element.
WASHINGTON -- James Wood commemorated his two-day bobblehead giveaway during the Battle of the Beltways by mashing a leadoff home run hit hard enough to be heard across the DMV.
Wood demolished a sinker from Orioles right-hander Tomoyuki Sugano that sped a projected 431 feet to the second deck of Nationals Park at 116.3 mph in the Nats¡¯ 4-3 win on Wednesday night.
¡°I can¡¯t really explain it,¡± Wood said of the feeling of hitting a ball at such an impressive exit velocity. ¡°But it just feels good being able to get a barrel.¡±
Let¡¯s dive into the remarkable home run by the 22-year-old.
Personal Best
Wood¡¯s second career leadoff home run and eighth homer on the season was his hardest-hit ball of any kind. The lefty-hitting slugger pulled it to right-center field at a 25-degree launch angle.
This browser does not support the video element.
¡°He was able to get to the pull side and really hit it a long way -- and on the line. It was hit really well,¡± manager Dave Martinez said. ¡°I love the fact that he can stay in the middle of the field and then do that. Home runs he hits to left field are impressive. But when he hit that ball today, I was like, ¡®Oh boy, wow, it¡¯s pretty awesome.¡¯¡±
Wood had tracked over 115 mph twice this season: a 115.8 mph groundout on April 12 at Miami and a 115.3 mph single on April 2 at Toronto.
Wood¡¯s previously hardest-hit home run came on April 15 at Pittsburgh, a 112.6 mph leadoff shot that bounced onto the concourse at PNC Park.
This browser does not support the video element.
¡°I was a little surprised,¡± Wood said of the exit velocity. ¡°But I was just happy it was a homer.¡±
Nats Best
Wood tied Bryce Harper for the hardest-hit home run by a Nationals player in the Statcast era (since 2015). Harper reached the mark on June 15, 2017, at Citi Field.
¡°What he does is crazy,¡± said closer Kyle Finnegan. ¡°He¡¯s so young and so talented. What impresses me the most is just the way he goes about his business, level-headed, not too high, not too low, and just focusing on the work everyday.¡±
When it comes to all balls hit by the Nats in the Statcast era, Wood¡¯s homer is tied with Harper for fifth. Only Adam Lind (118.3 mph single, June 2, 2017), Kyle Schwarber (116.6 mph double, May 8, 2021), Juan Soto (116.6 mph double, Aug, 17, 2021) and Soto (116.5 mph double, Sept. 22, 2021) track ahead.
¡°He always does it, so that¡¯s normal,¡± said Luis Garc¨ªa Jr. with a smile. ¡°To everybody, it¡¯s very fun to see it. It¡¯s always a long homer.¡±
Nationals Park Best
Just a few months before Wood was drafted, Schwarber smashed a 115.4 mph home run on April 30, 2021. It was the hardest-hit home run at Nationals Park by a Nationals player in the Statcast era -- until Wood surpassed that mark on Wednesday.
¡°It¡¯s awesome. I¡¯d like to see him hit just as much as Schwarber does, it¡¯d be nice,¡± Martinez said with a laugh. ¡°But he crushed that ball.¡±
This browser does not support the video element.
Among all players on any team, Wood joined a list of elite sluggers who have done damage at Nationals Park. In the Statcast era, he ranks behind just Giancarlo Stanton (121.3 mph), Shohei Ohtani (118.7 mph) and Harper (116.4 mph).
¡°I¡¯m glad he went for the pull,¡± said starting pitcher Trevor Williams. ¡°He went for the pull homer. What he¡¯s been doing is special. He¡¯s a young kid that is very mentally older than he is. He¡¯s going to be a great ball player for a long time.¡±