James Wood has a tall task — lead the Washington Nationals back to great heights

Billy Heyen

James Wood has a tall task — lead the Washington Nationals back to great heights image

James Wood is already the centerpiece of the Washington Nationals.

He's hard to miss, too, with his size and prodigious power trying to lead the Nats back to great heights.

It's going to be a tall task for Wood, though.

The Nationals were supposed to break through this season, but it hasn't happened for them. And although Wood is an All Star and in the Home Run Derby, there's still a lot of work to be done in the nation's capital.

Wood was the most crucial piece acquired when the Nationals traded Juan Soto to the Padres, but that makes his role in the rebuild clear: He has to lead it.

So far, so good.

Wood had started every game he could in D.C. until getting Sunday off to rest for the Home Run Derby. He's as up to the task as anyone.

MORE: Revisiting the Juan Soto trade from the Nationals to the Padres

How tall is James Wood?

James Wood is 6-foot-7.

That's the same height as New York Yankees superstar Aaron Judge.

It can be difficult to be a consistent hitter with such a big strike zone and long levers as a swinger, but Wood appears to be on a Judge-like path to discovering how to best use his size to his advantage.

He's got a chance to be both the physical and emotional leader for the Nationals as they try and seize onto hope in a new era.

Don't bet against the tallest guy on the team helping carry them back toward the top of the league.

MORE: Cal Raleigh called his Home Run Derby shot when he was 8 years old

Billy Heyen

Billy Heyen is a freelance writer with The Sporting News. He is a 2019 graduate of Syracuse University who has written about many sports and fantasy sports for The Sporting News. Sports reporting work has also appeared in a number of newspapers, including the Sandusky Register and Rochester Democrat & Chronicle