The Philadelphia Phillies made their first draft selection at pick No. 26 Sunday evening, and chose a name who Phils fans might already be familiar with: right-handed pitcher Gage Wood out of Arkansas. Wood is most notably known this past season for one of the greatest college baseball games ever thrown in the College World Series, posting a 19-strikeout, no-hit performance against Murray State. This was just the third no-hitter in College World Series history.
This was the first pick since 2019 (when the Phillies selected Bryson Stott) where the organization decided to take a college prospect, and the first since collegiate choice since Brian Barber was promoted to assistant general manager, amateur scouting.
With the 26th pick in the MLB Draft, the Phillies have selected RHP Gage Wood#RingTheBell x #MLBDraft25 pic.twitter.com/j9mfu6ZZPl
— Phillies Player Development (@PhilsPlayerDev) July 14, 2025
Phillies select Gage Wood in 2025 MLB Draft after powerhouse season at Arkansas
Wood has experience both in the bullpen and rotation with Arkansas, after starting as a closer for the program before switching to the rotation this past season and making 10 starts for the Razorbacks. He finished the season 4-1 with a 3.82 ERA, striking out an impressive 69 batters in 37 2/3 innings of work. Wood was the No. 23-ranked pre-draft prospect, according to MLB Pipeline, and was ranked 18th overall according to Baseball America.
Wood brings a lot of experience, and may rise quickly in the Phillies system. Some even expect him to potentially help late in the season, if not next season, according to the ESPN panel after Wood's selection, corroborated by Keith Law of The Athletic (subscription required). The Phillies must have realized his quick potential after breaking the high school trend the organization has seen in recent years.
With the 26th pick of the 2025 MLB Draft, the Philadelphia Phillies select Gage Wood, a right-handed pitcher from the University of Arkansas! pic.twitter.com/ovbYSx12CC
— Arkansas Baseball (@RazorbackBSB) July 14, 2025
Wood mixes five pitches across his pallet, grading well throwing the fastball, curveball, slider, and changeup. His fastball sits a consistent 94-96 mph. He did reach 98 mph in his no-hitter this past season, his fastest pitch recorded this season. His ability to throw strikes has been impressive, as displayed by his 167 career strikeouts to just 38 walks through his collegiate career over the course of 108 innings of work. His only real knock was the arm injury he was coming off, which might have been the reason behind his slight fall in the draft. Assuming the Phillies did the homework on the medical reports, this is a terrific pick for the organization.
Wood has won a handful of individual awards at Arkansas, earning All-SEC Team as a freshman, as well as Fayetteville Regional and College World Series All-Tournament Team honors this past season. This was a home run pick for the Phillies, and a move the Phils could even be rewarded for later in the season. The Phillies deserve a grade of an A for this pick.