While the Washington Nationals are hovering right around the .500 mark at 20 wins and 22 losses through the first 42 games of the 2026 MLB season, James Wood has been one of the few bright spots for the team.
Through May 13, the 22-year-old is hitting over .240 with double-digit home runs and a .929 OPS. He’s showing huge power at the plate, reaching base routinely, and looking more and more like Washington’s future star.
But of course, he'll have to stay in Washington long-term to make that a reality. That wasn't the case with Bryce Harper and Juan Soto, both of whom began their careers with the Nationals but now play elsewhere. This has led MLB Insider Jim Bowden to directly challenge Nationals general manager Anirudh Kilambi, referencing the two players who got away.
“Didn't you learn your lesson with Harper and Soto?” Bowden said (via Foul Territory).
Late last month, Bowden spoke about the importance of the Nationals re-signing Wood and taking a different approach than they took with other notable players who are no longer with the club.
“The Nationals hopefully learned their lesson after failing to sign homegrown stars Bryce Harper, Trea Turner and Juan Soto to long-term deals when it was possible to do so,” Bowden wrote via The Athletic. “They need to take a different approach with Wood. Wood has developed into one of the game’s elite sluggers, hitting for power and getting on base at a very high rate. He also runs well. Signing him long-term must be the franchise’s top priority as they rebuild themselves back into contenders.”
So far this season, Wood has 12 home runs and 29 RBI in 42 games.
