Nationals’ James Wood joins Barry Bonds in elite club with four intentional walks

article

ANAHEIM, CALIFORNIA - JUNE 27: James Wood #29 of Washington Nationals bats in the first inning during the game against the Los Angeles Angels at Angel Stadium of Anaheim on June 27, 2025 in Anaheim, California. (Photo by Gene Wang/Getty Images)

WASHINGTON - James Wood solidified himself as one of the top power threats in the MLB, becoming the first player since Barry Bonds in 2004 with four intentional walks in a game, in a 7-4 win against the Los Angeles Angels on Sunday.

With one single in the first inning, Wood, 22, and a Rockville, MD native, proved to be too much of a threat with runners on base as he was intentionally walked in the fifth with runners on second and third base, a man on second base in the seventh, a runner on third in the ninth and man on third in the eleventh. 

The backstory:

Bonds saw four games with four intentional walks in the 2004 season. At the time of his first four-walk game on April 23, 2004, he was 39-years-old and had already smashed 667 career home runs. Prior to Wood, there have been five players to record this singular game statline. Bonds, Manny Ramirez, Gary Templeton, Roger Maris and Andre Dawson, who saw five intentional walks on May 23,1990. 

To put in perspective how impressive this accomplishment is, Wood turns 23 in the middle of September and was born two years before the last four intentional walk game. He just played in his 163rd career game and is already receiving the treatment of the league's all-time home run hitter.

What they're saying:

"If you’re being put in the same sentence as [Bonds], then that’s pretty cool," Wood said postgame. 

By the numbers:

In his first 162 games, Wood totaled 31 home runs, 105 RBIs, 166 hits and an .859 OPS. He joined a lucrative list of Nationals, tying Bryce Harper and Juan Soto in homers through their first full season in the big leagues. Harper and Soto both signed the largest sports contracts in history as their rookie contracts expired. 

This season, Wood has a .283 batting average, 22 home runs, 64 RBIs and a .386 on-base percentage. He is sixth in the league in home runs and walks at 54 and has the fifth highest OPS, .938.

Even with the impressive numbers, Wood has not won over MLB fans as he was not voted as a 2025 National League (NL) All-Star finalist. Pete Crow-Armstrong (Cubs), Teoscar Hernández (Dodgers), Ronald Acuña Jr. (Braves), Kyle Tucker (Cubs), Andy Pages (Dodgers) and Soto (Mets) received more votes than Wood. 

Of the six NL outfielder finalists, Wood currently has more home runs, RBIs and higher slugging percentage, .552, as he looks to appear in his first Mid-Summer Classic. 

The Nationals are set to begin a six-game homestand, starting against the Detroit Tigers at 6:45 p.m. at Nationals Park on Tuesday.