The Atlanta Braves have started to struggle again, going 5-5 over their last 10 after an impressive stretch. However, dropping their last three against the New York Mets and Philadelphia Phillies before winning on Saturday, the Braves are now in a strange position again. It might make more sense for the team to sell, but regardless of what they do, the Braves will hold the 22nd overall pick in the MLB draft in about two weeks.Â
When searching for who the Braves could draft, MLB.com recently put together their first-round list, which had them selecting Gage Wood, a right-hander out of Arkansas who recently threw a no-hitter at the College World Series.Â
âWoodâs name was on the rise even before his College World Series no-hitter. This would make it six straight years that the Braves took an arm with their first pick,â Jonathan Mayo wrote.
Wood’s Draft Outlook
Wood had a record-setting performance for the Razorbacks, something that the Atlanta Braves and other teams around the league were certainly watching. According to the Hall of Fame page on X, Wood is donating his cleats from his 19-strikeout no-hit performance in Omaha, an incredible honor for the young man.Â
âFrom Hog to HOF.
â@RazorbackBSB pitcher Gage Wood is donating the cleats from his 19-strikeout, no-hit performance in the Menâs College World Series to the Hall of Fame,â they wrote.
While Wood has been known because of what he did on the mound during the College World Series, it’s best to get a feel for what he’s done throughout his entire body of work.Â
Woodâs Fit in MLB
For the Atlanta Braves, there’s reason to be hopeful and thereâs reason for some doubt. Wood was very good in his final year, posting a 3.82 ERA and striking out 69 hitters in 37.2 Innings, but he dealt with a shoulder injury in high school and doesnât have many innings under his belt since.
Shoulder injuries are never ideal, but the legendary Jim Callis spoke about that when examining where he could be drafted.Â
âI did get several Gage Wood questions immediately after the Arkansas right-hander pitched the best game in College World Series history, a 19-strikeout no-hitter against Murray State on Monday. Only an eighth-inning hit batter kept him from a perfect game as he got 26 swings and misses with his explosive 95-98 mph fastball and mixed in an effective power curveball at 82-85 mph…
âWood’s Draft status still is murky because he also had shoulder issues in high school and pitched just 108 innings in three seasons with the Razorbacks, leaving questions about his durability. He has one of the best fastballs in the Draft and a solid curve, though he barely employs his changeup. He has cut his walk rate to 5 percent during the last two college seasons, and his pitch efficiency bolsters his case as a starter,â he wrote.
Beyond that, Wood has shown some promising signs in the SEC and at the Cape Cod League, where he posted a 1.42 ERA in the 2024 Cape Cod League.Â
He struck out 29 hitters in 19.0 innings, showing that his strikeout stuff is some of the best in this draft class.Â
Strikeout stuff usually plays at the highest level, and if he can continue to throw the baseball at that type of level, he should be in a decent position to have some success in Major League Baseball. For the Braves, theyâd love to add an arm of this caliber.
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