‘Phillies Extra’ Q&A: Prospect Gage Wood on starting vs. closing, his ‘sick’ first impression of Philly, and more
Wood, who is now the Phillies' top pitching prospect, joined The Inquirer's baseball show to discuss the perks of being a starter and his path to the big leagues.
Ten months ago, Gage Wood pitched arguably the best game in amateur baseball history — a 19-strikeout no-hitter in the College World Series.
“I really don’t think about that much,” he said. “Other than when people bring it up.”
It came up in the latest episode of Phillies Extra, The Inquirer’s baseball podcast. Because with Andrew Painter having finally graduated to the majors, Wood is the Phillies’ top pitching prospect.
And he’s off to a terrific start at low-A Clearwater.
Wood sat down for a wide-ranging interview about his development, specifically his slider, since the Phillies drafted him in the first round last July. He also talked about his path to the big leagues (it could be short) and, yes, his famous no-hitter.
Here are a few excerpts from the conversation. Watch the full interview below and subscribe to the Phillies Extra podcast on Spotify or Apple Podcasts.
Q: Was there someone you watched as a kid and said, ‘Yeah, I want to be like that guy.’
A: ... not really. I didn’t really pitch. I pitched my whole life, but I didn’t really care that much about pitching. Always liked hitting homers when I was younger. And then once I just kind of got older and stronger, [I] started taking pitching a little more serious. And then you start to follow certain guys. I didn’t really try to model myself after anyone.
» READ MORE: Phillies prospect Gage Wood may have to take a longer road to the majors — and he’s OK with that
But nowadays, one of the first people I got to watch in person was [Paul] Skenes. It was our first road weekend [against] LSU, and just seeing that guy, especially being a 18-year, 19-year-old freshman in college, seeing a guy come out pumping 102 or 100 [mph] for seven innings straight, striking out everyone. Just pure dominance.
You obviously sit back and look and you’re like, ‘Wow,’ especially when [longtime Arkansas coach] Dave Van Horn’s in the dugout [saying], ‘I’ve never seen anything like this.’ When you look at him now, he’s the best pitcher in baseball. So, you obviously want to be like that, the overpowering, plus-plus stuff, just punching [out] the house. And, of course, executing, competing, that’s just what you want to be.
Q: Certainly, you’ll do whatever the Phillies want you to do, but I wonder, since you have been a closer and a starter, is there a role that you think suits you best based on stuff, based on demeanor? Are there things about starting and closing that you like and that you appreciate?
A: I’ll say there’s nothing like being treated like a starter, but there’s also nothing better than closing a game in front of, for me, [the] most was probably anywhere between [10,000] and 15,000 people. And it’s even better when you get to do it start to finish. I will say that. But I do love striking out that last batter of the game and going up, hugging the catcher, and it’s handshakes and high fives, celebrating the ‘W’. I really just play to win. I just want to win, man. I hate losing.
Q: What do you like about being treated like a starter?
A: Yeah, it’s a long season, so you got to think about everything you’re doing in between outings. So, a bullpen guy, you could throw 10-15 pitches one day, and guess what, you’re probably going to be hot the next day. You just never know. The schedule isn’t set in stone, like it kind of is for starting. So, when I’m starting, I get to do my lifting routines, my throwing routines. It’s very scheduled out, and you have a routine that is very planned, and you stick to it.
» READ MORE: ‘Phillies Extra’ Q&A: Brian Barber on the paths to the majors for Justin Crawford and Andrew Painter
And when you’re in a bullpen, it’s basically all hands on deck. You’re going every other day, every two days, back-to-back days, you never know. So that’s just kind of what it’s like, getting treated as a starter. And even in college, if you were the starter, you were just treated different, looked at different. And that’s everywhere. Being in the rotation, it’s not easy. So, obviously you get treated a little better. But the biggest thing is definitely what the day-to-day, week-to-week routines look like.
Q: You visited Philly for the first time when you signed in July. What was that experience like for you?
A: It was sick. Coming from Arkansas, it’s a packed house all the time, every weekend, getting to see those fans in Philly, how they interact, and just that stadium, that many people, getting to walk around during the game. It’s unbelievable. That’s why you play the game, just to be in those environments. That’s what makes it fun [and] brings out the best in every player at that level. Awesome environment. I would say it’s like Arkansas fans times 100. We also got to see [Cristopher] Sánchez go the [complete game] that week, too, which was awesome. Pure dominance, and you really just can’t beat it. Just ready to experience that firsthand.
Q: Was there anything else that you took out of those few days from talking to players in the clubhouse?
A: Yeah, I got to go around the clubhouse, all the facilities, meet everyone. Got to talk to Zack Wheeler, Aaron Nola, the whole pitching staff, pretty much. Got to talk to Bryce Harper, Kyle Schwarber, all those guys. You get there and you’re like, ‘Wow, this is pretty cool.’ And I’ll always remember that for the rest of my life.
I went home and I told pretty much everyone that I’m friends with, [or] I’m even close to, people that just asked me, ‘Did you get to talk to Bryce Harper?’ And I’m like, ‘Actually, yeah, I did. It was freaking sweet.’ But no, they were great. They took time out of their pregame routines and stuff just to say a couple things to me. And that meant the world to me, especially on that day. And I’ll always remember that.
Phillies Extra is your deep dive into all things Phillies on Gameday Central! Hosted by Scott Lauber, each episode brings you insider analysis, exclusive interviews with players and experts, reader emails, and more to cover the hottest topics with the Phillies and across Major League Baseball. Don’t miss it — the conversation starts here!
You can also subscribe to the podcast version of Phillies Extra on Spotify or Apple Podcasts.
