Latest news with #GageWood
Yahoo
23-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Arkansas' Wood inks $3 million deal with Philadelphia Phillies
BY DUDLEY E. DAWSON FAYETTEVILLE – Former Batesville and Arkansas pitcher Gage Wood is now officially a Philadelphia Phillie. Philadelphia announced Tuesday that Wood, who pitched the first no-hitter in College World Series in 65 years in his last start, inked a contract with the Phillies for $3 million. He was the No. 26 overall pick in the 2025 draft – the first Razorback selected – and signed for less than his $3,492,200 million slot value, but it was still the fifth largest signing bonus for an Arkansas player. 'It's awesome,' Wood told Phillies Nation. 'Got to come up here to Philly for the first time. Worked my whole life for this, so this is a blessing and I'm ready to get going.' Wood was on hand Saturday at Philadelphia's Citizens Bank Park when Kyle Schwarber's go-ahead grand slam in a 9-5 win over the Los Angeles Angels. 'The stadium is awesome,' Wood said. 'The fans are awesome, and the environment is incredible.' His signing bonus is just behind Arkansas shortstop Wehiwa Aloy's $3.4 million dollar deal with the Baltimore Orioles after he was taken 31st overall. Wood's scintillating 19 strikeout game in a 3-0 win over Murray State was a banner conclusion to a season in which he battled a shoulder impingement and missed several starts. Wood went 4-1 with a 3.82 ERA in 37 2/3 innings. He struck out 69 and walked seven. Phillies manager Rob Thomson liked the look of Wood (6-0, 225), who threw 119 pitches in his CWS masterpiece. 'He looks like he's very strong,' Thomson said. 'He looks like he's been in the weight room…'An exciting time for a young man to start his professional career.' Wood, one of 11 Razorbacks drafted, will now head to Florida to play for for the Single-A Clearwater Threshers. 'I'm going to work as hard as I can to perform the best that I can,' Wood said, 'but we'll let the people in the front office make that decision.' While Wood worked out of the bullpen most of his first, Philadelphia sees him as a starter per general manager Preston Mattingly. 'He has those pitches, but we view him as a starter,' Mattingly said. 'Could he do things, hypothetically? Sure, but we view him as a starting pitcher. 'We like all four pitches. We think there's the ability to develop even more than he has. Obviously he has an elite fastball. He showed that in college, the curveball as well. We still think the slider has significant room for improvement, and the changeup as well.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
23-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
1st round pick Gage Wood on signing with Phillies and MLB readiness
1st round pick Gage Wood visited Citizens Bank park to officially sign with the Phillies and talked the Philadelphia media about his MLB readiness. 1st round pick Gage Wood on signing with Phillies and MLB readiness originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia
CBS News
23-07-2025
- Sport
- CBS News
Philadelphia Phillies sign 1st-round draft pick Gage Wood
It's been an eye-opening experience for Gage Wood, the Philadelphia Phillies' first-round draft pick. The right-handed pitcher from the University of Arkansas officially signed a $3 million contract on Tuesday and will report this week to the Phillies' training complex in Clearwater, Florida. The 26th overall pick has already had a taste of what his Philly future could be. "It's awesome. I got to come up here to Philly for the first time, I worked my whole life for this," the 21-year-old Wood said. "It's a blessing and I can't wait to get going." Wood had spent a few days in the city, seeing an explosive fan reaction when Kyle Schwarber hit a grand slam that proved to be a winning blow over the Angels on Saturday night, and having his family with him in Citizens Bank Park to see the Phillies beat the Red Sox on Monday night on a catcher's interference call. "The stadium's awesome, the fans are awesome and the environment is incredible," Wood said. "It was really surreal." When he hasn't been at the ballpark, Wood added, "I've been working out at the hotel, and we've been playing catch in the strip of grass right across the road." It doesn't get any more thrilling than that. When it comes to his status, however, Wood isn't one for hyperbole. The kid who threw a 19-strikeout no-hitter in the College World Series was asked if he thought that set him apart from other first-round draftees. College and the professional level are two different stages, so I don't want to get ahead of anything," Wood said. For now, his focus is on Florida, where he should find out when and where his professional career will begin. "I'm going to work as hard as I can to perform the best that I can," Wood said. "But I'll let the people in the front office make that decision."
Associated Press
22-07-2025
- Sport
- Associated Press
Phillies sign 1st-round draft pick pitcher Gage Wood out of Arkansas
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — It's been an eye-opening experience for Gage Wood, the Philadelphia Phillies' first-round draft pick. The right-handed pitcher from the University of Arkansas officially signed a $3 million contract on Tuesday and will report this week to the Phillies' training complex in Clearwater, Florida. The 26th overall pick has already had a taste of what his Philly future could be. 'It's awesome. I got to come up here to Philly for the first time, I worked my whole life for this,' the 21-year-old Wood said. 'It's a blessing and I can't wait to get going.' Wood had spent a few days in the city, seeing an explosive fan reaction when Kyle Schwarber hit a grand slam that proved to be a winning blow over the Angels on Saturday night, and having his family with him in Citizens Bank Park to see the Phillies beat the Red Sox on Monday night on a catcher's interference call. 'The stadium's awesome, the fans are awesome and the environment is incredible,' Wood said. 'It was really surreal.' When he hasn't been at the ballpark, Wood added, 'I've been working out at the hotel, and we've been playing catch in the strip of grass right across the road.' It doesn't get any more thrilling than that. When it comes to his status, however, Wood isn't one for hyperbole. The kid who threw a 19-strikeout no-hitter in the College World Series was asked if he thought that set him apart from other first-round draftees. College and the professional level are two different stages, so I don't want to get ahead of anything,' Wood said. For now, his focus is on Florida, where he should find out when and where his professional career will begin. 'I'm going to work as hard as I can to perform the best that I can,' Wood said. 'But I'll let the people in the front office make that decision.' ___ AP MLB:
Winnipeg Free Press
22-07-2025
- Sport
- Winnipeg Free Press
Phillies sign 1st-round draft pick pitcher Gage Wood out of Arkansas
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — It's been an eye-opening experience for Gage Wood, the Philadelphia Phillies' first-round draft pick. The right-handed pitcher from the University of Arkansas officially signed a $3 million contract on Tuesday and will report this week to the Phillies' training complex in Clearwater, Florida. The 26th overall pick has already had a taste of what his Philly future could be. FILE - Arkansas pitcher Gage Wood throws to a Texas A&M batter during an NCAA college baseball game, May 17, 2024, in College Station, Texas. (Meredith Seaver/College Station Eagle via AP, File) 'It's awesome. I got to come up here to Philly for the first time, I worked my whole life for this,' the 21-year-old Wood said. 'It's a blessing and I can't wait to get going.' Wood had spent a few days in the city, seeing an explosive fan reaction when Kyle Schwarber hit a grand slam that proved to be a winning blow over the Angels on Saturday night, and having his family with him in Citizens Bank Park to see the Phillies beat the Red Sox on Monday night on a catcher's interference call. 'The stadium's awesome, the fans are awesome and the environment is incredible,' Wood said. 'It was really surreal.' When he hasn't been at the ballpark, Wood added, 'I've been working out at the hotel, and we've been playing catch in the strip of grass right across the road.' It doesn't get any more thrilling than that. When it comes to his status, however, Wood isn't one for hyperbole. The kid who threw a 19-strikeout no-hitter in the College World Series was asked if he thought that set him apart from other first-round draftees. Winnipeg Free Press | Newsletter Mike McIntyre | On Sports Thursdays Keep up to date on sports with Mike McIntyre's weekly newsletter. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. College and the professional level are two different stages, so I don't want to get ahead of anything,' Wood said. For now, his focus is on Florida, where he should find out when and where his professional career will begin. 'I'm going to work as hard as I can to perform the best that I can,' Wood said. 'But I'll let the people in the front office make that decision.' ___ AP MLB:
