Batesville native Gage Wood made his professional baseball debut Saturday night with the Clearwater Threshers, the Single-A affiliate of the Philadelphia Phillies.
Wood, a former Arkansas pitcher, struck out five batters and allowed one hit, one earned run, and two walks in two innings of the Threshers’ 6-2 loss. He threw 40 pitches in his first appearance since being drafted 26th overall by the Phillies in the 2025 MLB Draft.
The 20-year-old signed a $3 million deal with Philadelphia in July after completing his junior season at Arkansas, where he became one of college baseball’s premier relievers. As a sophomore in 2024, he appeared in 22 games with a 4.46 ERA, striking out 56 batters in 40⅓ innings.
The former Batesville High School standout is the 11th Razorback chosen in the first round and the fifth pitcher from the program to earn that distinction.
Image: MLB
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