In 2025, the Philadelphia Phillies' most relevant pitching prospects, Mick Abel and Andrew Painter, were on the MLB horizon, with Abel making his debut earlier this year. To combat those losses to the team's farm system, president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski and the rest of the front office tried to restock the team's pipeline with more pitching depth this summer.
During the first round of the 2025 MLB Draft, the Phillies selected right-hander Gage Wood with the 26th overall pick. He signed a $3 million contract and made his professional debut in Single-A Clearwater.