A new era is on the horizon in the Philadelphia Phillies organization.
No. 2 overall pitching prospect Gage Wood, the Phillies’ 2025 first-round pick, is now three starts into his Double-A career with the Reading Fightin Phils, and with each inning, the potential of what could be continues to rise.
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On Thursday night on the road in Binghamton, the Arkansas native pitched four innings, allowing four hits, including a first-inning home run, while striking out four batters and walking none.
Despite a 2-1 loss for the Fightin Phils (24-30) against the Rumble Ponies, it does not take away from what Wood has been displaying on the mound through his first three starts.
Since being called up from Low-A Clearwater, the right-hander has pitched 11 innings, allowing three earned runs and one walk while recording a whopping 14 strikeouts.
“I just want to stay where I’m at, be where my feet are, take everything one day at a time, keep executing, and try to give my team a chance to win each time I go out there,” Wood said about his expectations after his second start last week in Reading.
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After being selected last season, many fans pushed for the idea of adding Wood to the bullpen for a Red October postseason run, but President of Baseball Operations Dave Dombrowski, who was in attendance for Wood’s first home start in Reading, decided against it in order to continue developing the 22-year-old in the minors.
Starting the 2026 season in Clearwater, Wood made eight starts and posted a 3.42 ERA in 26.1 innings with 40 strikeouts to 12 walks.
That was enough for the organization to make the call-up on May 18.
Could Phillies fans continue to expect a quick rise from MLB’s No. 70 overall prospect in the near future? It’s certainly a possibility with how quickly he is climbing through the minor league ranks, and performing well while doing so.
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The Phillies front office and coaching staff view Wood as a long-term starter, and the thought of him eventually joining a rotation that includes Cristopher Sánchez and Zack Wheeler would certainly be a sight to see.
But for Wood, he’s not looking that far into the future as he continues to develop and take things day by day.
“Really, I just have to keep working, keep executing, keep doing the things I’ve done my whole life, and just keep working,” Wood said. “You can’t really look that far ahead.”
His fastball typically sits in the 94-96 mph range, but it touched 99 mph at FirstEnergy Stadium last week.
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“I feel better as I go, so I really like it,” Wood said. “The blood just gets pumped more, and I just get more into it, just compete, and the body just starts to feel better, things start speeding up, and kind of takes another tick. I love it.”
Wood threw his fastball more than 60% of the time during his stint in Low-A this season.
“He’s got one of the best heaters in all the minor leagues, plus his off speed stuff. It’s really, really fun to be back there. One of the best heaters in the world,” Fightin Phils catcher Kehden Hettiger said last week. “Every start, past two starts, his energy has been high. Just his presence on the mound kind of says it all.”
Wood’s intense demeanor on the mound is visible, the type of emotion fans love seeing from their favorite players.
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It brings an infectious energy around the ballclub that can certainly change a game for the better.
While his fastball and energy are two major factors in Wood’s game, his off-speed stuff is nothing to overlook.
The College World Series no-hitter pitcher features a slider, curveball, and splitter in his arsenal.
“The new slider is awesome. Need to get to the curveball as a strike a little more,” Wood said of his arsenal. “I really wanted to focus on it in the off-season. That was the biggest thing going into the off season that I needed to develop, so I just really put my focus into that and wanted to make sure I have it, and it’s probably one of my better pitches.”
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The slider is still a pitch Wood is getting a feel for, as he did not throw it much during his college career last season.
Like every young pitcher, it’s something that should continue to improve with time.
Over the next couple of months, Wood said his biggest focus is making his splitter a more consistent pitch, while continuing to polish his overall execution.
One difference Wood has already noticed, after skipping over High-A Jersey Shore, is how much more selective hitters are at the Double-A level.
“Got to get ahead of these guys, stay on the attack, if you get behind in counts, they can do damage,” Wood said. “That’s how it is now. These hitters are better, they seem to have better zones.”
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While Reading fans are getting a firsthand look at what could be looming in the majors for years to come, Wood enjoyed his first outing in front of the home crowd on May 28 in a 5-1 win over the Harrisburg Senators and spoke about what it has been like being a member of the Phillies organization.
“I love it. Everyone here is awesome, everyone treats you like family, the guys, coaches, staff, everyone couldn’t ask for anything better.”
The newest Fightin Phil will get another opportunity in front of the home crowd next week when Reading takes on the Portland Sea Dogs in a series running from Tuesday, June 9 through Monday, June 14.
Reading sits fifth in the Eastern League Northeast standings, five games behind the Hartford Yard Goats in a tight first-half division race that comes to a close on June 26.
The Fightin Phils currently have nine of the organization’s top 30 prospects on the roster as they hope to finish 2026 with their first winning record since 2020.
