Major League Baseball is back.
One of the future stars of the game is from Olney and plays for his hometown team.
James Wood is the face of the Washington Nationals and could be ready for the national stage with a breakout campaign. Wood was named to the All-Star game last year in just his second season in the big leagues. The expectations are even higher this year for the 6-foot-7-inch power hitter.
Wood is ranked by ESPN as the 44th-best player in the majors this season. In 2025, Wood hit 31 home runs and drove in 94 runs for the rebuilding Nationals. Wood also participated in the All-Star Game’s marquee event, the Home Run Derby.
Wood grew up playing Little League baseball for the Olney Boys and Girls Club. He was drafted by San Diego in 2021 and then traded to the Nationals in 2022.
