Baseball players aren't supposed to hit opposite field lasers for home runs. To have immense power the other way is such a rare trait.
The New York Yankees' 6-foot-7 superstar Aaron Judge is one of the few guys who can do it consistently. And there's a new entrant to that list, another 6-foot-7 slugger, Nationals soon-to-be superstar James Wood.
And yeah, it's totally OK to put Judge and Wood in the same sentence. In many ways, Wood is ahead of Judge in a developmental timeline when you compare their careers.
we were born in the right generation we love watching james wood dingers and yelling pic.twitter.com/AAHCmkhnMv
— Washington Nationals (@Nationals) May 31, 2025
In 2025, Judge might be having the best hitting season in a long, long time. But he's 33.
Wood so far this season is batting .287/.385/.579 with 15 doubles, 16 homers, 43 RBI and nine stolen bases. His OPS has ranked top-10 in MLB for pretty much the entire season.
And Wood? He's just 22 years old. He won't turn 23 until September.
Judge wasn't even drafted until he was 21 years old. His MLB debut came at age 24.
The Yankees great went to Fresno State before joining the professional ranks. Wood was picked straight out of IMG Academy.
MORE: The best home run robbery you'll ever see
Part of the Wood story with the Nats will always be the trade. He was one of the pieces that returned to Washington when Juan Soto was sent to the Padres.
And, well, that looks like it'll work out pretty well in D.C. (with MacKenzie Gore, C.J. Abrams and Robert Hassell all also contributing in MLB after being part of that trade).
Baseball development isn't a straight line. Wood may stagnate and never reach an even higher level.
But probably, the fact that he's doing what he's doing as a 22-year old means there are even bigger things to come.
Sure, comparing one 6-foot-7 dude to another is a bit of a cop out. But it's also fair in this case.
Because when you watch Wood hit, there are signs that he could someday become the absolute scariest hitter on the planet, a title currently held by Judge.
MORE MLB NEWS:
- Aaron Judge sets MLB power record before June
- Blue Jays' Ernie Clement turns into Barry Bonds against left-handed pitchers
- Mets' prospect is batting .560 at Triple-A
- Tigers prospect meets with cancer patient, then hits 3 homers and steals home
- Red Sox make a final Rafael Devers fielding decision
- Orioles signed a hitter, then released him, then signed him again all in one week