Nationals’ James Wood is 3rd player announced in MLB Home Run Derby

Billy Heyen

Nationals’ James Wood is 3rd player announced in MLB Home Run Derby image

The 2025 Major League Baseball Home Run Derby is shaping up to be an absolute masterpiece.

MLB has now named three players competing, with Washington Nationals second-year superstar added to the field on Thursday.

He joins Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh and Braves outfielder Ronald Acuña Jr.

Those are three of the most exciting power hitters in baseball, and there are still five more slots to be filled.

It's an incredible honor for the 6-foot-7 Wood, who will get a chance to be properly introduced to a national audience during the event in Atlanta. He would be the youngest-ever winner if he claims the Home Run Derby title, according to MLB's Sarah Langs.

MORE: Aaron Judge, Shohei Ohtani, Cal Raleigh combine to make MLB history

Wood has the size of a Home Run Derby slugger, but his home run diet is anything but standard.

He's so powerful that many of his homers are line drive lasers to every part of the field. It'll be interesting to see if he tries to pull everything during the Derby or if he launches baseballs to every part of the field.

Ironically, Wood was the biggest piece to come to the Nats when they traded Juan Soto to the Padres.

Soto won the 2022 Home Run Derby very shortly before that trade happened, one of the last things he did in a Nationals uniform.

Wood won't be going anywhere, but he'll certainly have a chance at winning this thing.

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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