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.
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.
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