MLB Draft: Phillies select pitcher Gage Wood with their first pick

Unlike the NFL, the Major League Baseball draft doesn’t usually draw a lot of eyeballs.

Most sports fans don’t watch much college baseball, so they’re not up on all the top prospects. And even when a player goes No. 1, chances are it will be at least three years before he gets to the bigs (often 4-5 years). And that’s if he pans out.

Out of sight, out of mind.

Nonetheless, even if it isn’t so visible to the average fan, the 20-round MLB draft is integral to building and sustaining success for any organization. The two-day, 2025 draft began Sunday night, and the Phillies selected righthanded pitcher Gage Wood from the University of Arkansas in the first round with the 26th overall pick.

Wood, with an absolutely dominating fastball, threw a no-hitter in the College World Series against Murray State this year, striking out a record 19 batters. It was just the third no-hitter in CWS history.

The 21-year-old, who also has an effective curveball as well as a strong slider and changeup, helped lead the Razorbacks to the national semifinals, where they lost to eventual champion LSU.

Wood (6 feet, 205 pounds) also has experience as a reliever. While the Phillies’ long-term plans may be for him to be a starter at the major-league level, the possibility of him contributing out of the bullpen with the big club this season isn’t out of the question.

In 10 starts as a junior for Arkansas this year, Wood went 4-1 with a 3.82 ERA and 69 strikeouts over 37 2⁄3 innings. He was sidelined with a shoulder injury in February, March and April.

Between his sophomore and junior year, he appeared in six games, including a pair of starts, in the prestigious Cape Cod League, where he led the league in strikeouts with 29 and was second in ERA (1.42) for Falmouth.

With the first overall pick Sunday, the Washington Nationals drafted high school shortstop Eli Willits, the son of former major-league outfielder Reggie Willits, which was a surprise to lots of . High school infielder Ethan Holliday and lefthanded LSU pitcher Kade Anderson were widely expected to go in the top two.

Source: Berkshire mont