2025 Draft Prospect - RHP - Gage Wood - Arkansas

 

https://www.prospectslive.com/prospects-live/2024/11/7/2025-mlb-draft-top-sec-prospects-part-2  -

RHP Gage Wood - Arkansas

Prospects Live Ranking: #51

Gage Wood has yet to have standout numbers in Arkansas. However, he’s been a pretty reliable reliever over his first two seasons in Fayetteville, going 5-2 with a 4.61 ERA over 70.1 innings pitched. His command showed massive improvement between his freshman and sophomore years, reflected by the 56/8 strikeouts-to-walks ratio in 2024. He may get a chance to start at Arkansas in 2025 and his standout performance up in the Cape indicates he could be in for a breakout junior season. In five of his six outings for Falmouth this summer, Wood threw over 50 pitches and dominated with his fastball/slider combination. He throws his fastball almost 70% of the time. It sits in the mid-90s and generates a lot of swing and misses. He often complements the heater with a mid-80s slider and also boasts a splitter and a changeup. Gage Wood could fly up the draft rankings with command of the secondary pitches and consistency as a starter.

 

https://arkansasrazorbacks.com/roster/gage-wood/ -

Freshman (2023)

» Freshman All-SEC Team

» First-Year SEC Academic Honor Roll

 

Emerged as the Razorbacks’ closer as a true freshman … Appeared in 23 games on the mound, going 2-0 with a 4.80 ERA, 42 strikeouts and five saves in 30.0 innings … Limited opposing hitters to .198 batting average on the year … In SEC play, made 12 appearances … Posted a 1-0 record with a 4.43 ERA, 26 strikeouts and five saves over 20.1 innings of work … Limited conference opponents to a .216 batting average … All five of his saves came in SEC play and were of the multi-inning variety, including three three-inning saves … Became the fourth Razorback freshman under head coach Dave Van Horn to record five or more saves in a season, along with RHP Brady Tygart (8, 2022), RHP Nolan Sanburn (8, 2011) and RHP DJ Baxendale (7, 2010) … Made his collegiate debut vs. #15 TCU (Feb. 18) in the College Baseball Showdown at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas … Struck out the side in an inning of work vs. #9 Oklahoma State (Feb. 19) in the College Baseball Showdown at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas … Fanned three in a scoreless inning of work against Louisiana Tech (March 12) … Recorded his first collegiate win in a relief appearance against Omaha (March 28), striking out three over two scoreless innings … Earned his first collegiate save against Alabama (April 2), throwing 1.1 scoreless innings with a strikeout … Picked up his season save of the season at Ole Miss (April 8), striking out four over three innings of one-run ball … Fanned a season-high six over three innings against #16 Tennessee (April 15) en route to his third save … Locked down his fourth save against Texas A&M (April 28), striking out five in 2.1 scoreless innings … Struck out four over three shutout innings at Mississippi State (May 5) to secure his fifth save of the season … Earned his second win of the year against #6 South Carolina (May 12), tossing a season-long 3.1 scoreless innings with four strikeouts … Named to the Freshman All-SEC Team at the season’s end.

 

High School

 

Attended Batesville High School in Batesville, Ark. … Ranked by Perfect Game as the No. 96 right-handed pitcher and the No. 313 overall prospect in the country … No. 3 right-handed pitcher and the No. 4 overall prospect in the state of Arkansas by Perfect Game … Ranked by Prep Baseball Report as the No. 242 overall prospect and the No. 80 right-handed pitcher in the country … No. 2 right-handed pitcher and No. 3 overall prospect in Arkansas by Prep Baseball Report … Named the 2022 Arkansas Player of the Year by Prep Baseball Report … 2020 Prep Baseball Report Future Games participant … 2022 Perfect Game Preseason  -American – Southeast All-Region Second Team … 2021 Perfect Game Preseason Underclass All-American – Southeast Region Honorable Mention.

 

https://www.nwahomepage.com/sports/pig-trail-nation/from-batesville-to-the-hill-the-story-of-gage-wood/ -

From a very young age, it was clear. Arkansas right-handed pitcher Gage Wood was going to be a pretty good baseball player.

“Probably when he was about nine. We started the live arm. You know, he would just pitch the ball. I mean, he didn’t throw hard, but it was just, he could locate you know. His nickname was Fathead and they would say, Fathead, you know, throw it inside and he did,” Gage’s mom Chasity Gould said.

Even though Wood would play any position on the field that was needed of him, his high school coach, Kelly Rush, knew he was destined to be a pitcher at the next level.

“He knew how to pitch and had multiple pitches: fastball, breaking ball, changeup. And then when the elite velocity came along, you know, and he kept working and got that, then that pushed him to the next level right there,” Rush said.

So what made Gage different than other pitchers at the high school level? His mom credits it to his dog mentality.