Gage Wood, a right-handed pitcher from the University of Arkansas, has signed with the Philadelphia Phillies for $3 million. Wood was selected as the 26th overall pick in the 2025 MLB Draft. This signing amount is below the slot value of $3,492,200. Wood is set to begin his professional career with Single-A Clearwater this summer.
Wood made headlines by throwing the first no-hitter in the College World Series since 1960 on June 16, achieving 19 strikeouts against Murray State. This performance marked a record for strikeouts in a nine-inning game during the series. Known for his fastball and power curveball, Wood’s pitching style has led to speculation about his potential contribution to Philadelphia’s bullpen this year. However, Phillies general manager Preston Mattingly stated that there are no immediate expectations for him to join this season’s lineup.
“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.”
The Phillies also signed Matthew Fisher from Memorial High School in Indiana for $1.25 million, which sets a record for a seventh-round pick. Assistant general manager of amateur scouting Brian Barber expressed excitement about Fisher’s potential: “We were ecstatic to have the opportunity to select him where we did.”
In addition to these signings, the Phillies secured agreements with 15 other draft selections including Cade Obermueller and Cody Bowker.
