Measurements tell us the ball had an exit velocity of 103.3 mph, launched at a 31-degree launch angle and traveled 383 feet. The three-run shot gave the Nationals a seven-point lead in a game they ended up winning, 14-6. The smile on the rookie’s face, however, said much more.
“I just tried to hold it back a little bit,” Wood said in the clubhouse after the game. “But just coming home and seeing everybody there welcoming me, it was pretty cool.”
Aside from a quick gesture to the sky, there was nothing in his celebration to suggest it was Wood’s first home run. It took him 28 seconds to circle the bases, flashing a big smile as he approached home plate.
There he was joined by teammate Ildemaro Vargas, who is 6’1″ and fought hard to place Washington’s “Uncle Slam” hat on the 6’3″ Wood’s head. Once the home run stalwart found its place, Wood’s smile grew even wider.
“It’s really special,” Keibert Ruiz said of the moment. “I’m so happy for him. He’s a great guy. He’s super talented. I think he’s going to be a part of this team winning for a long time.”
There was something fitting about Wood’s first home run on that sweltering afternoon. The game marked the youngest team Nationals manager Dave Martinez has played all season, with an average age of just 25.6, according to TruMedia. Wood batted third and finished 2 for 5 with five RBIs on a day when many players Washington considers foundational pieces thrived.
“To see them bounce back (from Friday’s overtime loss) and do what they did, it says a lot about the character of these guys and our young players,” Martinez said. “They’re hungry.”
It started quickly. After MacKenzie Gore easily ended the first inning, C.J. Abrams led off the bottom of the inning with a home run to center field, his 14th of the season. Four batters later, Ruiz drove in three runs with his fifth homer.
Gore worked the second inning scoreless before the Nationals struck again, turning the stifling afternoon into a full-on laugher. With two men on base and two out, Wood scored. Lynn stayed on the field, worked hard and issued a walk to Jesse Winker, then gave up singles to Ruiz and Luis García Jr., who, with the help of a throwing error, put Washington up 9-0.
Gore, one of those foundational pieces, allowed five runs and failed to get out of the fourth, but the 25-year-old left-hander is keenly aware the team is in transition.
“There’s a lot to be excited about,” Gore said of the young core. “And look, all that matters here is winning. I didn’t have a great start today, but we still found a way to win, and that’s what it’s all about. What young teams have to do is learn how to win.”
When Martinez talks about the youth of his team, he doesn’t just mean Wood. Trey Lipscomb, 24, also from Maryland, arrived before Saturday’s game, recalled from Class AAA Rochester (N.Y.), while the organization designated Nick Senzel, 29, for assignment. Lipscomb hit 1 for 5. García, 24, had three hits, and Juan Yepez, 26 and recalled this week, added two.
“It’s cool to see what we’re capable of and also how much more we can improve,” Wood said.
It was the third time this week the Nationals gave up a draft option in favor of a younger player. On Monday, they designated Eddie Rosario (32) to make room for Wood. On Friday, they selected Yepez from Class AAA and selected Joey Meneses (32).
Like Rosario, Senzel had a few productive weeks, but his production wasn’t enough to make him a viable trade player. He started with a .209 batting average and a .663 OPS. Lipscomb, who also had an up-and-down season, offers defensive upside, and he had 15 hits in 38 at-bats with five doubles and three homers in his most recent 10-game stint with the Red Wings. He’ll have a chance to become Washington’s everyday third baseman.
But on a day when the Nationals (42-47) hit 15 homers against the Cardinals (46-42) and Ruiz finished three runs short of the cycle, the spotlight was on Wood, the top prospect whose first week didn’t do much to temper expectations.
In the top of the third inning, the stadium was still in awe of Wood’s home run, and a fan in the left-field bleachers ordered his section to applaud the rookie. Wood acknowledged the gesture with a half-hearted nod. He’s still getting used to the attention.
“I know he enjoyed it,” Abrams said. “First major league home run. There’s a lot more to come.”
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