Walker Buehler, Gage Wood Have Sensational Debuts Within Phillies Pipeline

Things didn't start in an ideal fashion for Buehler. Giving up a home run to the first batter he faced, there were some immediate concerns that there just might not be a whole lot left in the gas tank.

But he settled down and didn't give up an earned run for the rest of the outing, finishing with five hits allowed in three innings of work. Command remained an issue for him with three walks issued, however, he also struck out three batters, which is a good sign.

This start was expected to be his lone tune up outing in the minors before the Phillies call him up to their major league roster ahead of the Sept. 12 matchup against the Kansas City Royals. Hopefully the command issues will be something Philadelphia works with him on while he's waiting for the promotion, because that will determine if he can be an effective pitcher or not the rest of the season for his new team.

Gage Wood Flashed High-Upside Stuff

The Phillies selected one of the hottest draft prospects in this year's cycle after Wood threw a no-hitter in the College World Series that was paired with an eye-popping 19 strikeouts during that outing. Owner of an incredible fastball, Philadelphia reportedly was impressed by his entire arsenal and believe they can hone it into something that turns him into an elite professional pitcher.

That was on display during his first outing with Clearwater. However, he struggled with his command early on by walking two hitters and throwing just 10 of 23 pitches for strikes. That culminated with a balk that scored a run.

After that, Wood was electric, though, striking out the side in the first inning and finishing his debut with five K's in two innings of work where he allowed just one hit.

Pitching for the Florida Complex League affiliate likely for the rest of the year, it will be interesting to see where the Phillies put the 21-year-old to start next season. While Single-A could be the place he begins, because he's a college arm, they could also send him to Double-A immediately.

No matter where Wood begins his professional journey in 2026, he's going to be someone to keep an eye on during his career. Now ranked fourth in Philadelphia's pipeline, he is the second-highest ranked pitcher on the farm now that Mick Abel was traded away.

With Aaron Nola struggling and with Zack Wheeler on the last leg of his MLB career and dealing with the recovery from two surgical procedures, the Phillies are going to need another high-ceiling arm to come up the ranks and be an impactful pitcher for them.

They're hoping Andrew Painter is one of them, but if Wood can be the guy he was in college, then Philadelphia will have two youngsters on their hands who could both become superstars.

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