Starting pitcher Gage Wood exploded onto the scene in the College World Series and has seen his draft stock rise significantly. The Arkansas native posted a 3.82 ERA with a 0.903 WHIP for his hometown Razorbacks this year. This included posting an absurd 16.5 K/9 with only 1.7 BB/9, walking only seven batters all year while striking out 69. The highlight of his year was a 19-strikeout, no-hitter performance in the MCWS against Murray State.
Should Gage Wood be selected, he would join Hagen Smith as back-to-back first-round picks for the Razorbacks.
Gage Wood MLB Draft Profile
What Allows Wood to be So Good
With a K/9 as high as it is, Wood utilizes four pitches to dominate hitters. His arsenal is led by a 70-grade fastball that sits at 94-96 mph and can reach 98 at times. The last pitcher to get a 70-grade fastball was Iowa’s Brody Brecht in the 2024 draft. His fastball plays up due to his low release height and the flat arm angle to get an elite swing and miss rate. His secondaries include a 55-grade curveball, a 45-grade slider, and a 45-grade changeup. While the slider and changeup do not play as well, the curveball plays off the fastball along the bottom of the zone to get chases from batters.
19 STIKEOUTS.
NO-HITTER.
ELIMINATION GAME.GAGE WOOD WITH A LEGENDARY PERFORMANCE IN OMAHA
@RazorbackBSB pic.twitter.com/N47FAjJ4vc
— SEC Network (@SECNetwork) June 16, 2025
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Weaknesses in His Game
While it is more difficult to succeed with a two-pitch mix, Wood needs to develop another secondary to blossom. Despite the action his changeup gets, it would seem his upper-80s slider can be his equalizer. Outside of his pitches, his biggest concern has been his health, as he has never gone over 41 innings in a season. This is in addition to a couple of shoulder injuries that have plagued him throughout his career. If he is not able to handle the workload as a starter, his arsenal plays extremely well as a reliever.
MLB Comparison
When comparing Wood to MLB pitchers, the most similar could be Cade Horton of the Chicago Cubs or Hunter Brown of the Houston Astros. This is due to the high-ride fastball they possess in addition to a wipeout curveball. Additionally, both pitchers have similar walk rates as well as secondaries that convert similarly to Wood’s. While he may not be a top-10 pick, with some development, Wood can be a late first-round steal for any team that does select him.
Main Photo Credit: © Steven Branscombe-Imagn Images
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