Nationals budding star James Wood is just 22 years old. He has played 163 games in the Major Leagues.
But the amount of respect he already commands from opposing teams is on the level of some all-time greats.
In Sunday’s game against the Angels, Wood was issued four intentional walks. The last player who was intentionally walked four times in a game? Barry Bonds in 2004, when he had four such games with the Giants.
“That’s pretty cool,” Wood said after the Nationals’ 7-4 win in 11 innings. “If you’re being put in the same sentence as [Bonds], then that’s pretty cool.”
Since intentional walks started being officially tracked in 1955, Wood is the sixth player to be intentionally walked four times in a game, joining Bonds, Manny Ramirez, Andre Dawson, Garry Templeton and Roger Maris. Wood is also the first player in Nationals/Expos franchise history to receive four intentional walks in a game.
“It stinks because I like to watch him hit, but it’s pretty crazy that they’re already taking those measures against him,” Nationals outfielder Jacob Young says. “He’s carried our offense for a lot of the year and it’s special when he’s up there.”
Wood has recorded an impressive .283/.386/.552 slash line during his first full MLB season. His 22 homers are tied for sixth in baseball while his .938 OPS ranks fifth.
However, the Nationals as a team rank 18th in homers (85) and 20th in OPS (.704). So, Sunday probably won’t be the last time we see an opposing manager put up four fingers when Wood steps into the batter’s box.