The Phillies landed one of the most high-upside players in the 2025 MLB Draft, selecting Arkansas star Gage Wood with the No. 26 pick.
Wood burst onto the scene with his 19-strikeout no-hitter against Murray State in the 2025 Men's College World Series. The record-breaking performance was the first no-hitter in the College World Series since 1960. His 19 strikeouts were the most in a nine-inning game in College World Series history.
"You should be fired up, @Phillies fans. This dude pitched arguably the greatest game in the history of the College World Series."
— MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) July 14, 2025
- Greg Amsinger on No. 26 pick Gage Wood from @RazorbackBSB pic.twitter.com/zFeSaw0YxA
“It’s unclear how much the College World Series enters into evaluations now that the draft is after its conclusion, but there’s no question Wood helped his stock with his thrilling no-hitter in Omaha,” MLB.com’s Jonathan Mayo wrote. “Wood has an unhittable fastball and a power curve as his two best offerings.”
Wood is the first college pitcher the Phillies have selected in the first round since taking Aaron Nola seventh overall in the 2014 MLB Draft. Like Nola, Wood could have an accelerated path to the big leagues.
A NO-HITTER AND MCWS-RECORD 19 STRIKEOUTS FOR GAGE WOOD!
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) June 16, 2025
What a performance for the Arkansas pitcher pic.twitter.com/QC4E7r1Nrl
“Gage Wood has a chance to start long term but can also go straight to the upper minors — if not the big leagues — and potentially help the bullpen later this season, like a trade deadline addition,” ESPN’s Kiley McDaniel wrote post-draft.
The Arkansas native began his Razorbacks career as a closer before moving into the rotation this spring. A shoulder issue limited him to 10 starts.
Regarding his pitching arsenal, Wood has great stuff. His fastball sits in the mid-90s, topping out around 98 mph. His curveball is his best secondary pitch, and he also throws a slider and split-changeup.
However, although scouts have already begun envisioning him contributing at the big-league level, Wood will require refinement before joining the Phillies.
Though he solidified his first-round draft status with his impressive 19-strikeout no-hitter in Omaha, Wood entered that start with a 5.02 ERA and will need to be more consistent in the pros.
The 21-year-old hurler is too reliant on his fastball and will need to improve his secondary offerings.
Despite his worrisome ERA last season, the 6-foot pitcher recorded 69 strikeouts while walking only seven batters, good for a 9.86 strikeout-to-walk ratio. Wood also limited opposing hitters to a .194 batting average, highlighting an ability to overpower hitters despite his subpar secondary pitches.
Health will be key for the newest Phillies first-rounder, but should he stay healthy, Wood could become a front-end starter in Philly.
“Wood hasn’t shown much in the way of durability, and him slipping to the tail-end of the first suggests teams have real reservations about that changing,” CBS Sports’ R.J. Anderson wrote. “Still, he has electric stuff and, if he does somehow stay healthy, he has the talent to become the best pitcher in the class.”
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