With the MLB draft coming up, the San Diego Padres stand to have yet another opportunity to replenish their farm system, and an intriguing arm is a logical candidate. 

The San Diego Padres under A.J. Preller have a set idea of what they look for in the first round of the draft.

In Preller’s tenure, the team has either taken a toolsy high school position player or a promising high school pitcher. The Padres have not taken a collegiate pitcher in the draft since 2016, when they doubled down with Cal Quantrill and Eric Lauer. Quantrill was taken No. 8 overall despite Tommy John surgery in his junior year at Stanford, and there is an equally intriguing arm available in this draft. 

With the number eight pick in the 2016 #MLBDraft, the #Padres select RHP Cal Quantrill from Stanford pic.twitter.com/9naOEbEpUb

— San Diego Padres (@Padres) June 10, 2016

Gage Wood’s draft stock entering June 16 had him ranked as the 50th-ranked draft prospect per MLB Pipeline. However, what unfolded in his start against Murray State will likely push him into the first round. Wood threw the first no-hitter in College World Series history since 1960, finishing a hit batter away from a perfecto. Now, the tinsel tape and sparklers may be flying, but regardless, Wood remains a strong draft prospect. 

The moment he made history. ?#MCWS x ? ESPN / @RazorbackBSB pic.twitter.com/9WwjpD17Au

— NCAA Baseball (@NCAABaseball) June 16, 2025

The right-hander spent his first two collegiate seasons as one of the Travelers’ strongest relievers and made the jump to starting this season. Wood made two starts to open the season before missing time due to a shoulder impingement, and was ultimately sidelined for two months. His season’s results did not look as strong as his numbers in relief over his past two seasons:

• 2023-24: 45 Games (3 Starts), 70.1 IP, 4.60 ERA, 3.55 FIP, 98 K, 31 BB, 31% K | 9.8% BB
• 2025: 9 Games Started, 28.2 IP, 5.02 ERA, 2.93 FIP, 50 K, 7 BB, 40.98% K | 5.7% BB

It is worth noting that Wood significantly outperformed his surface-level numbers in his collegiate career when analyzing further. But does he have what it takes to be a starter long term? Remember, the Padres took a highly-touted Arkansas right-hander back in 2021, selecting Kevin Kopps 99th overall in a season where he won the Golden Spikes Award. Kopps and Wood are very different as draft prospects, as Kopps was 24 when drafted, while Wood is still 21. 

Arkansas reliever Kevin Kopps has been named the Golden Spikes Award winner. He went 12-1, 0.90 with 11 saves for the Razorbacks. He had 131 strikeouts and 18 walks in 89.2 innings.

Kopps was drafted in the third round by the Padres earlier this week.

— Kyle Glaser (@KyleAGlaser) July 15, 2021

So what exactly does Wood bring to the draft table?

Listed at 6-foot, 205 pounds, Wood brings a solid four-pitch mix led by a 70-grade four-seam fastball that sits in the mid-90s, topping out at 98 mph. The heater shows impressive carry, with 18 inches of induced vertical break while averaging 10 inches of horizontal break. This fastball profile is similar to that of current Padres’ starters Ryan Bergert (19.6” iVB, 6.4” HB) or Michael King (17” iVB, 7.1” HB). Wood’s heater has shown the ability to top out at 98 mph and sets up his strong breaking pitches.

Wood’s strongest secondary is a power curve that sits in the 84-85 mph range, with -17” of iVB. He also throws a high-80s gyro slider that averages 89 mph, which has potential, currently graded out at a 45, and his seldom-used changeup is also rated at a 45 present value. His command has certainly helped his stock, as he has limited walks strongly over the last two seasons.  A 5% walk rate over 69 innings in the previous two seasons bodes well, but the jump from college to the pros does have its complications, including the professional ball. 

KKKKKKKKKKKKKKKK#MCWS x ? ESPN / @RazorbackBSB pic.twitter.com/QPdXF1Zl0Y

— NCAA Baseball (@NCAABaseball) June 16, 2025

When looking at Wood’s makeup and arsenal, the ceiling is very clear, but the risk is also apparent. His collegiate career has been slowed by injuries, and with under 100 career innings, Wood might be considered a raw prospect despite being a college junior. Furthermore, Wood battled shoulder injuries in high school and even this past season, so the pick remains a high-risk selection. However, the league as a whole has shown a willingness to take a chance on high-risk arms based on the ceiling of the player; teams will heavily weigh the idea of what a player can be, sometimes weighing it higher than what the player is at the time. With a high-risk arm, it makes sense for the Padres to add an arm like Wood. 

Woody’s out here breaking bats ? pic.twitter.com/4m9tr3PbXj

— Arkansas Baseball (@RazorbackBSB) June 8, 2025

There is also the Padres’ slot value in the first round. The Padres have the 25th overall pick, with their slot value set at $3,606,600. The Padres tend to go under slot value in the first round, in order to be able to sign more under-the-radar draft prospects in the second and third rounds (see: James Wood). While Gage Wood’s signing bonus demands remain unknown as of the time of writing, it is likely he signs for an amount near or at slot value, considering his limited resume at the collegiate level. He doesn’t have the resume of a Paul Skenes or a Chase Burns, which is part of why he is projected as a late first-rounder. 

Wood makes sense for the Padres in the long term, as an arm with ace-like potential and an arsenal that is reminiscent of current Padres starter Dylan Cease, with stronger command but a more limited track record. The question with the right-hander is whether he will make it to the 25th overall pick.

Diego Garcia

A born and raised San Diegan, Diego Garcia is a lifetime Padres fan and self-proclaimed baseball nerd. Diego wrote about baseball on his own site between 2021-22 before joining the East Village Times team in 2024. He also posts baseball content on his YouTube channel “Stat Nerd Baseball”, creating content around trades, hypotheticals, player analyses, the San Diego Padres, and MLB as a whole.

A 2024 graduate of San Diego State, Diego aims to grow as a writer and content creator in the baseball community.