Gage Wood improved his stock drastically back on June 16 when he pitched just the third no-hitter in College World Series baseball history and the first in 65 years. Less than a full month later, the hard throwing and fiery right-hander cashed in when he heard his name called with the Phillies selecting him 26th overall in the 2025 MLB Draft Sunday night.
That no-hitter where he racked up a mind-boggling 19 strikeouts certainly helped put him on a national radar, but the Arkansas Razorback was on the Phillies’ list well before his historical feat, scouting him last summer in the Cape Cod League pitching for the Falmouth Commodores.
“You don’t normally have an opportunity, especially at [No. 26], to select a college pitcher with stuff and such a dominating performance when he was on the mound,” Brian Barber, Assistant General Manager, Amateur Scouting told local media on a zoom call Sunday night after the third round.
Can Wood help the Phillies this season?
Projected as the 16th and 18th-ranked draft prospect per ESPN and Baseball America, respectively, the Newport, Arkansas native being available at 26 was certainly something the team had to jump on. Wood became the first college pitcher drafted by the Phillies in the first round since taking Aaron Nola out of LSU back in 2014. Nola made his MLB debut 13 months after being drafted. Wood has the potential to make his sooner.
“I don’t think it’s ever really easy to predict how fast a person’s going to have the ability to move,” Barber said. “I do know he has the potential to move quickly. It’s already more now-stuff that you don’t have to project a ton on.”
The stuff is certainly there. A power pitcher at 6-feet and 205 pounds, his fastball is electrifying. Sitting at 94-96 mph and topping at 98, he had the highest whiff rate with his heater in all of college baseball this season. He mixes a devastating 12-6 curveball to go with a split-change and slider rounding out his four-pitch mix. He held opponents to a .194 batting average as a junior this year while racking up 69 strikeouts in 37 2/3 innings.
“If you’re taking a college pitcher up high, they should have a few of the qualities that allow a guy to advance at a faster-than-normal rate. They should be doing more than just one thing. They should have more than one pitch, and they should be able to throw strikes,” Barber said.
Wood checks off those boxes. Pitchers like Wood who pitch in the SEC tend to be more advanced and developed. With his experience, there is certainly a scenario where Wood could potentially be a jolt in the bullpen come Red October, but time will tell on how the Phillies handle their headliner of the draft.
Barber added, “You see those dominating pitches [fastball, curveball] and people are going to automatically think, move to the bullpen. But this is a guy that’s shown the ability to do it. The start in the College World Series, it was quality stuff from pitch one to pitch 119. We’re not planning to move him to the bullpen long-term anytime soon.”
Wood did miss some time due to a shoulder injury this season. Barber would not go into details regarding what exactly the hurler was dealing with, but said it was not anything the team was worried about long-term.
Experience both as a starter and reliever
As a true freshman, Wood was the Razorbacks closer earning a selection to the Freshman All-SEC team appearing in 23 games going 2-0 with 42 strikeouts. He led the team with five saves, all coming in conference play including a pair of three inning saves while opponents hit .198 against him.
In his first season as a starter, Wood helped lead the Razorbacks to the semifinals of the College World Series pitching in big games throughout the season.
“Every player we consider on the board we talk about his makeup as well,” Barber said on what else went into picking Wood aside from his arsenal. “It’s not just the College World Series game that you would’ve seen which would be emotional for anybody, especially with such a dominating performance that he had. You would see it in the SEC games, the weekend series. Those are big events, big games and big series for those guys.”
It is extremely rare in baseball for first round picks to climb the organizational ladder to make an immediate impact on the big-league club. It is not unprecedented, but there are three notable times it did occur in the last 15 years when it came to pitchers.
Chris Sale made his MLB debut with the White Sox as a reliever after being selected 13th overall in 2010. In 2014, Brandon Finnegan pitched in the World Series for the Royals after being taken 17th in the draft. Most recently, Garrett Crochet was fast tracked to the majors just three months after he was picked by the White Sox in 2020 as the 11th overall selection.
Whenever Wood makes his MLB debut, Barber believes that the moxie and his enthusiasm that pours out after recording big outs on the mound will resonate with the fans.
He is seemingly made for the moment making him an ideal piece for the team’s future with a fan base that matches Wood’s passion.
“I think he’s a guy that Philadelphia fans are gonna learn to love,” Barber said.
Mandatory Credit: Steven Branscombe-Imagn Images
