The Phillies drafted Arkansas pitcher Gage Wood with their first pick of the 2025 draft. (Photo by … More
The Philadelphia Phillies drafted Arkansas pitcher Gage Wood with the 26th overall pick of the 2025 MLB Draft on Sunday night.
Wood launched himself into the national spotlight last month when he threw the third no-hitter in the history of the Men’s College World Series. The junior right-hander zoomed up mock draft boards with his no-hit performance that saw him strike out 19 of 28 batters in the MCWS elimination game against Murray State. Here’s a look at the final pitch of his masterpiece:
A shoulder impingement forced Wood to miss two months of the regular season, but he ended 2025 with a 4-1 record and a 3.82 earned run average in 10 appearances, giving up 27 hits and 16 earned runs while striking out 69 batters and walking only seven.
MLB Pipeline says Wood “has one of the best fastballs in the Draft, sitting at 94-96 mph and reaching 98. Its combination of velocity and carry, along with his low release height and flat approach angle, produce elite rates of chases, as well as overall and in-zone swings and misses. He relies heavily on his heater and a power 82-85 mph curveball that shows flashes of becoming a plus pitch.” Here’s a look at Wood’s heater-hook combo meal:
Wood also throws an upper-80s slider that “isn’t nearly as effective as his curve” and a changeup “with similar velocity and decent fade,” according to MLB Pipeline. He battled control issues as a freshman but has carried an impressive 5-percent walk rate the last two seasons.
Beyond his electric fastball, Wood flashes the swagger Philly will love. Check it out here:
So now the question must be asked: Could the Phillies rush Wood through their system and get him to the big club to help their weakest unit — the bullpen — for a playoff push this year? Well, back in 2014, such a rarity happened when the Kansas City Royals drafted Brandon Finnegan, who pitched in September for K.C., along with the playoffs and the World Series in the same year he got drafted.
Finnegan had to be in the mind of Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski when the team selected Wood, even if it’s a long shot that the kid reaches the majors in the next couple months. But if he does, he could be a power arm that the Philly bullpen depserately needs.