In his first full season, James Wood has already established himself as one of the most dynamic players in the league. The Nationals outfielder, who was a key piece of the Juan Soto trade, has 23 home runs and a .940 OPS and is one of the bright young stars in the league.
Wood made his first All-Star Game this year, and he also committed to participating in the Home Run Derby for the first time. He will be the least-experienced player in the derby, and his young age will rival some of the youngest players to participate in the derby all time.
“It’s just an honor to be invited,” Wood said, via MLB.com. “Winning it would be cool, but I’m just there to have a good time.”
Wood will join the ranks of the youngest players in MLB history to compete in the Home Run Derby. Here’s a breakdown of who Wood will join and what history he could make by winning the competition.
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How old is James Wood?
James Wood will compete in the derby at 22 years old, nine months and 27 days old making him the youngest contestant in the Home Run Derby this year.
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Who is the youngest MLB Home Run Derby winner?
That title belongs to Juan Gonzalez, who won the Home Run Derby in 1993 at just 23 years old while playing with the Rangers. Gonzalez competed against a stacked field in Baltimore that included Ken Griffey Jr., Barry Bonds, Mike Piazza, Cecil Fielder, Albert Belle, David Justice and Bobby Bonilla.
In 1993, each contestant went one round, and the player with the most home runs after one round would win. Gonzalez and Griffey tied that round with seven each, then went to double overtime after they tied the first overtime with four home runs. Gonzalez ultimately won that third and final round to take home the prize.
OTD in 1993, Juan Gonzalez secured the Home Run Derby title. pic.twitter.com/eZhVS3pPXe
— Texas Rangers (@Rangers) July 12, 2022
That ended up being Gonzalez’s lone Home Run Derby appearance, as he never returned to the event for a second attempt.
Youngest Home Run Derby winners
| Year | Player | Team | Age |
| 1993 | Juan Gonzalez | Rangers | 23 years, 8 months, 23 days |
| 2022 | Juan Soto | Nationals | 23 years, 8 months, 24 days |
| 1986 | Darryl Strawberry | Mets | 24 years, 0 months, 28 days |
| 1986 | Wally Joyner | Angels | 24 years, 4 months, 2 days |
| 2019 | Pete Alonso | Mets | 24 years, 4 months, 2 days |
| 1994 | Ken Griffey Jr. | Mariners | 24 years, 7 months, 20 days |
Wood has a chance to make history, as he would become the youngest player to ever win the Home Run Derby.
Most recently, the closest was Vladimir Guerrero Jr., who was the runner-up to Pete Alonso in 2019 during his first competition. However, none of the players top compete in the contest at 22 years-old or under was able to come away with the trophy.
Youngest Home Run Derby contestants of all-time
While Wood is young, he won’t come close to being the youngest Home Run Derby contestant. Here’s a look at the players who competed in the contest that were younger than Wood will be this year.
| Year | Player | Team | Age |
| 2019 | Vladimir Guerrero Jr. | Blue Jays | 20 years, 3 months, 22 days |
| 1990 | Ken Griffey Jr. | Mariners | 20 years, 7 months, 18 days |
| 2013 | Bryce Harper | Nationals | 20 years, 8 months, 29 days |
| 2022 | Julio Rodriguez | Mariners | 21 years, 6 months, 21 days |
| 2017 | Cody Bellinger | Dodgers | 21 years, 11 months, 29 days |
| 1986 | Jose Canseco | Athletics | 22 years, 0 months, 12 days |
| 2016 | Corey Seager | Dodgers | 22 years, 2 months, 14 days |
| 2021 | Juan Soto | Nationals | 22 years, 8 months, 18 days |
| 2008 | Evan Longoria | Rays | 22 years, 8 months, 7 days |
The youngest Home Run Derby contestant ever is Vladimir Guerrero Jr., who participated in the event at 20 years, three months and 22 days old. He joined Ken Griffey Jr. and Bryce Harper as the only players to compete in the derby at 20 years old, but Guerrero was younger than those two by several months.
MORE: Youngest Home Run Derby champions of all-time
Of this group, Guerrero, Harper and Rodriguez all came in second place during their performances, but none of these players won the event. Wood will join also Harper and Juan Soto as Nationals to compete in the Home Run Derby before turning 23 years old, as it won’t be the first time that Wood is connected to those two in his career.
