Phillies draft Gage Wood, other college pitchers on Day 1 of 2025 MLB Draft

New York Times

4 hours ago

Gage Wood delivered one of the College World Series' strongest pitching performances ever when he threw a 119-pitch no-hitter on June 16.
He was part of a different kind of history when the Phillies selected him 26th during Sunday's 2025 MLB Draft — the first of three pitchers the club took, marking the first time Philadelphia has selected three pitchers with its first three draft picks since 1994.
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'We saw a strong-bodied competitor that goes out there with big stuff, dominates with his fastball and curveball,' Brian Barber, assistant general manager for amateur scouting, said. 'It's quality stuff. It's a quality pitcher. It's a guy that can just dominate hitters through the lineup with two pitches.'
Wood and the Phillies' two other selections, Iowa left-handed pitcher Cade Obermueller (second round, 63) and Vanderbilt right-handed pitcher Cody Bowker (third round, 100), mark a departure from Barber's first five drafts leading Philadelphia's scouting department. The Phillies selected high school players in the first round from 2020-2024 and high school position players over the past three drafts, leaning into a demographic that can be risky but that the organization felt had serious upside.
So why go college-heavy on Sunday?
'Obviously, you pick 26, there were a lot of high school players that we liked in this draft as well,' Barber said. 'The board just happened to not fall that way for us this year. When Gage got there, he was the highest player on our board and we went ahead and took him. I told you guys, I'm not sure if you ever believe me, but in past years we liked college guys as well. Sometimes, when you're picking later in the draft like that, it's the way it lines up.'
The Phillies last used a first-round pick on a college pitcher in 2014 on Aaron Nola, who reached the big leagues in just over a year. Barber said Wood's strike-throwing and low walk rate give him the potential to move quickly through the system, though it is difficult to predict how fast anyone will advance.
Wood's fastball reached 98 mph this season, typically sitting at 95-96 mph with strong depth and drop. It pairs well with his curveball, which sits around 83-85 mph. Barber said he also likes his split-change and slider for a four-pitch mix.
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The Phillies envision him as a starter, Barber added, though he pitched in relief until this season in college.
'The stuff just stayed throughout (the no-hitter),' Barber said. 'It was 119 pitches in that game, and it was quality stuff from pitch one to pitch 119. Especially with the ability to throw strikes at such a high level that he's done with the dominating pitchers. We're not planning to move him to the bullpen long-term anytime soon.'
Wood will likely slot as the organization's second-best pitching prospect behind righty Andrew Painter.
Wood first caught the Phillies' eye playing in the Cape Cod Baseball League last summer, Barber said, and his stuff took a jump in his first few starts this season. Then came a shoulder injury that sidelined him for more than a month. The Phillies continued to scout him upon his return from injury in April, still seeing quality strikes, stuff and delivery. The organization was not concerned by the injury, Barber said, though they will likely have to 'play it smart' throughout the rest of 2025 based on Wood's progression.
The Phillies' second and third round picks are 'low-slot, low release height guys who give a hitter a little bit of a different look than the normal pitcher does,' Barber said.
Obermueller, the second-rounder, was drafted 19th by the Rangers in 2024 and chose to return to college. He made some improvements, most notably cutting his walk rate this season. And the third-round pick, Cody Bowker, owns a fastball with strong ride along with a cutter and changeup.
'When you're taking a college pitcher up high, they should be doing more than one thing,' Barber said. 'They should be doing multiple things, so they should have more than one pitch. For each of the guys we drafted today: Gage it's his fastball (and) curveball, Obermueller it's his fastball (slider) , Cody Bowker — it's his fastball, slider and sweeper, really… Anytime you're taking a college pitcher, they should have a few of the qualities that allow a guy to advance at a faster than normal rate.'