James Wood’s rare grand slam proved one mistake can change MLB
Photo by Jess Rapfogel/Getty Images James Wood did not just produce a strange highlight. He showed how rare athleticism can change a Major League Baseball game before the defence has time to recover. The Washington Nationals were in trouble against the New York Mets.
They had fallen 5-0 behind in the second inning, and one swing looked unlikely to fix the game. Wood changed that because he did not treat confusion as luck. He treated it as permission to run, and that is what made his first career grand slam feel so loud.
James Wood turned one mistake into a game-changing swing Photo by Jess Rapfogel/Getty Images The pitch was a first-pitch sweeper from Nolan McLean. Wood drove it 379 feet at 101. 3 mph, and Nick Morabito could not hold it near the wall on his Major League debut.
Tyrone Taylor then lost track of the baseball, but the play only became extraordinary because Wood reacted instantly. His route around the bases was not a jog with a fortunate ending. It was a full sprint.
Wood completed the trip from home to home in 15. 15 seconds , with his sprint speed measured at 29. 4 feet per second.