We report what is to our knowledge the first high repetition rate Q-switched Nd:BaY(2)F(8) (Nd:BaYF) laser pumped with a multiwatt fiber-coupled diode array tuned at 806 nm. As much as 2.42 W of average power and up to 1.05 mJ of pulse energy were obtained with 6.1 W of absorbed pump power, with excellent beam quality (M(2)<1.2) and linear polarization.