The Phillies scouted Gage Wood last summer when he was pitching for the Falmouth Commodores at the Cape Cod League. Something had changed when they saw him again this year with the University of Arkansas.
Always a strike thrower, the right-hander’s arsenal had improved. It “popped,” Phillies assistant general manager and head of amateur scouting Brian Barber said via Zoom shortly after the team took Wood with the 26th pick in Major League Baseball’s amateur draft on Sunday night.
The 6-foot, 205-pound starter showed off a power fastball and high-level curveball this season with the Razorbacks. That combination convinced the Phillies to make him their first-round selection.