Phillies Receive Fantastic Grade For Their First-Round Draft Pick

It has been a bit of an up-and-down first half of the season for the Philadelphia Phillies, who are battling for first place in the National League East seemingly on a nightly basis.

Even though they are trending toward being a playoff team once again, some notable flaws on this team need to be addressed.

With the trade deadline coming up soon, the Phillies are going to need to be aggressive in trying to upgrade both their bullpen and their outfield. These were two areas that were issues in the playoffs against the Mets, and will once again need to be fixed if the team is going to find success.

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However, while the trade deadline will be the focus coming up, the Phillies also had to navigate the MLB draft while looking ahead toward the end of the month.

Philadelphia had the 26th overall pick and took a well-known name from the College World Series.

Joel Reuter of Bleacher Report recently wrote about Phillies first-round draft pick Gage Wood being a great selection and gave them a strong grade of an ‘A’.

“Can he help out in the MLB bullpen later this year? He was just getting fully stretched out by the end of the season and does not have the same workload on his arm as some of the other top college arms. Could be the best pitcher in this class.”

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Gage Wood burst to the scene in the College World Series with a no-hitter for the Arkansas Razorbacks. The young right-hander is extremely talented and was a strong selection by the Philadelphia.

While he might have had one of the most memorable moments of the year, Wood struggled quite a bit leading up to that. Overall, the young pitcher totaled a 4-1 record and 3.82 ERA, 37.2 innings pitched.

2025 was the first campaign in which Wood was a starter, so there is still a lot to prove in that area. However, with the Phillies needing some help in the bullpen, Wood’s lack of innings pitched and experience in that role could be utilized by the team this fall.

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It would be a bold move, but certainly one that is possible. Philadelphia has had a history of taking high school players, but Wood appears to be a selection that could help now.

Whether or not he pitches in the Majors happens this season, it isn’t out of the realm of possibility. With a need to win-now, Wood might be an option to help a bullpen that needs some talent.

For more Phillies news, head over to Phillies On SI.