James Wood home run robbery: Nationals star denies Juan Soto as Washington gets last laugh in 2022 trade

After years of lurking near the cellar of the NL East and MLB at large, the Nationals find themselves on the brink of relevance, just a handful of games from .500.

Their hulking slugger, James Wood, is one of the primary reasons why. The Olney, Maryland, native has been a force at the plate, spraying pitches around the outfield grass — or into the night sky.

Wood's Baseball Savant page is draped in red. He's on pace to eclipse 50 homers for the first time in his career. And even if he falls off his torrid pace, Wood still figures to rank as one of the sport's most feared batters by the time the season is through.

During Washington's 5-4 win over the Mets on Thursday, Wood showcased another side of his game — one that has proven far less menacing since he made his debut in 2023: his defense. Unfortunately for New York, Wood's heroics came at the expense of an old friend-turned-foe, Juan Soto.

Here's what you need to know.

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James Wood home run robbery

Wood is one of the tallest position players in MLB, standing a harrowing 6'6. He used every inch of his mammoth frame to deny Soto, who was centimeters away from logging his third home run in as many games.

In the bottom of the first inning, Soto connected fiercely with a Miles Mikolas fastball. He sent the ball skyward, hurtling towards the right-field bleachers with venom.

Mikolas keeled over at the pitcher's mound. Some 300 feet beyond him, Wood was calm, backpedaling towards the barrier as the ball scurried towards him.

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Wood took flight short of the wall, stretching his mitt out to corral the unruly effort. It settled into his pocket harmlessly, prompting him to smile as he descended from his perch.

Soto couldn't help but respond in kind, giving the 23-year-old a salute as he disappeared into the dugout. 

Juan Soto reacts to James Wood robbing him of a home run pic.twitter.com/o0i6i6MXR6

Wood's mother was less coy in her support, by comparison, invoking the late great Dikembe Mutombo as she showered her son in praise.

No, no, no, not today... https://t.co/f4b5ItZvaR pic.twitter.com/2dSmRxDsJF

Both players have played notable roles in each other's careers. During the 2022 trade deadline, Wood — formerly a member of the Padres' farm system — was packaged with various top-100 prospects in exchange for Soto.

The Nationals could hardly be considered the winner of the deal at the time. After all, they had given up one of baseball's greatest-ever hitters, a player who expressed a willingness to re-sign if they satisfied his contractual demands. Soto also had two years of team control remaining, making the trade that much more confounding,

Instead, Washington sent him packing, acquiring a cadre of prospects in return. The Nationals haven't finished anywhere close to a postseason berth in the years since Soto's departure. Better days appear on the horizon, though, especially with Wood leading the charge.

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CJ Abrams hits go-ahead home run against Mets

Like Wood, shortstop CJ Abrams was one of the prospects who washed ashore in Washington following Soto's trade.

He has gone on to enjoyed a charmed life in the nation's capital, fielding issues and gambling-related demotion be damned. Abrams is a one-time All-Star who has posted 3+ bWAR in three straight seasons. He's on pace to throttle his career-best marks in 2026, recording a .286/.394/.524 slash line through 30 games.

On Thursday, Abrams added to his growing legend. Facing a 4-3 deficit in the top of the eighth inning, Abrams clobbered a go-ahead two-run moonshot.

CJ Abrams gives the @Nationals the lead right back with a 2-run homer! pic.twitter.com/K1DD9TCUj7

Washington wouldn't relinquish the lead, claiming a momentous 5-4 win to move two games within .500 -- and 4.5 games ahead of New York.

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How tall is James Wood?

Wood is 6'6. making him one of the sport's tallest position players. His height proved helpful when he reeled in Soto's grab -- according to data provided by Weather Applied Metrics, had Soto's moonshot cleared the fence by four inches or hired, it would've nestled harmlessly into the seats.

Wood had other plans. Washington left grateful with the science they saw unfold at Citi Field.

Juan Soto trade, revisited

• Nationals received: SS C.J. Abrams, OF Robert Hassell III, OF James Wood, P Jarlin Susana, P MacKenzie Gore, 1B/DH Luke Voit
• Padres received: OF Juan Soto, 1B Josh Bell

On Aug, 3, Soto -- then a 23-year-old -- was dealt to San Diego in exchange for Abrams, Wood, Robert Hassell III, Jarlin Susana, MacKenzie Gore and Luke Voit. Josh Bell helped sweeten the pot for the Friars, who had hopes of capturing the Commissioner's Trophy in 2022.

Soto performed admirably during his brief spell with the Padres, posting an.893 OPS in 936 plate appearances.

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That wasn't enough to lift the Padres to MLB's mountaintop. He was summarily dumped off to the Yankees, fetching a return of Michael King, Drew Thorpe, Jhony Brito, Randy Vasquez and Kyle Higashioka for San Diego.

Washignton, meanwhile, has taken a slow approach to get better. Wood and Abrams are All-Stars. Gore was too, although the Nationals eventually traded him to bolster their farm system.

Who was the real winner in the Soto deal? You be the judge.

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James Wood vs. Juan Soto vs. CJ Abrams stats 2026

Soto has comfortably outperformed Wood and Abrams in recent seasons. 2026 could serve as a changing of the guard, though. Through 30 games, Wood and Abrams have more hits, walks, home runs, runs and RBIs than the Mets batsman. They also hold a slightly higher fWAR, although that is subject to change throughout the season.