97.5 The Fanatic Phillies Notebook: Gage Wood to the Bullpen?

The Philadelphia Phillies felt snubbed with their representation at the MLB All-Star Game at Truist Park. However, they ultimately got the best of both worlds. Their starting pitchers will benefit from the week’s rest, and their lone representative Kyle Schwarber peculiarly stole the show at the home of the Atlanta Braves.

The Phillies also added Gage Wood in the MLB Draft as a new and exciting prospect arguably in contention to make his major league debut in 2025.

Tuesday 7/15: National League 6, American League 6

The National League All-Star selections didn’t showcase a first-place team in a major market very emphatically.

The Phillies instead have World Series aspirations at the top of their priority list, so Zack Wheeler joined Cristopher Sanchez and Ranger Suarez as top-tier NL pitchers unavailable to manager Dave Roberts at the All-Star Game.

The Midsummer Classic looked even more like a forgettable footnote for the 2025 Phillies through nine innings. Kyle Schwarber pinch hit for Shohei Ohtani in the fifth, but his 0/2 stat line with one walk only reaffirmed the lack of sizzle.

However, Phillies fans interested in seeing their stars in an exhibition showcase somehow emerged with an incredible source of pride.

Schwarber hit second for the National League in the first-ever “swing off” in front of a majority of fans who didn’t know the obscure tiebreaker existed. He not only sent the ball into the Truist Park seats all three of his swings, but he also kept New York Mets slugger Pete Alonso off the field with no opportunity for a dramatic moment.

A bizarre chapter in Phillies All-Star history ended up with Kyle Schwarber lifting the MVP Trophy.

The MLB All-Star Game travels to Citizens Bank Park next July as part of America’s Semiquincentennial celebration in the nation’s birthplace. The Phillies will host an introductory festivities on Friday, July 16 to ignite a year of Philadelphia on center stage around the nation.

The Phillies drafted right-handed pitcher Gage Wood with the 26th-overall pick in the MLB Draft on Sunday. The Arkansas Razorbacks flamethrower pitched the third no-hitter in College World Series history on June 16.

Wood struck out 167 batters in 108 innings pitched during his NCAA career. He’s developed his fastball and curveball better than most pitchers in the 2025 class with the benefit of prolonged NCAA experience and a shorter expected timeline to reach the majors.

Brian Barber spoke about Wood’s timeline until his MLB debut.

MLB teams aren’t likely to draft in the first round based on the hope for a midseason addition. However, Wood’s profile aligns with the club’s current need for swing-and-miss stuff out of the bullpen.

Barber views Wood as a long-term starting pitcher in the system. However, he didn’t deliberately discount a fast track to the majors in a bullpen role that allows a two-pitch pitcher to delay his development of a more polished arsenal.

The Phillies spent 13 of their remaining 19 picks at the MLB Draft on pitchers in addition to Gage Wood. They used each of their first eight selections on pitchers.

Dave Dombrowski has helped the organization maintain competitive balance picks and respectable resources in the compensatory formula. He's prioritized a better balance between an aggressive buyer’s approach and a focus on long-term stability than in past eras of a franchise with a long history of losing baseball.

The MLB All-Star Break isn’t the midway point of the season, but it provides a convenient midsummer checkpoint.

The Phillies sit in seemingly good shape to earn a bid to a fourth consecutive Red October on a 93-win pace with a narrow lead in the NL East and good positioning in the expanded Wild Card field.

However, the constant pressure of World Series expectations has impacted the mood of the season drastically. Rob Thomson, a manager whose strength is controlling the mood of a clubhouse, spoke about the All-Star Break as a possible reset.

The remainder of the 2025 season at Citizens Bank Park will be one of the most consequential three-month stretches in Phillies history. The upcoming MLB Trade Deadline could push Dombrowski to make some uncomfortable decisions of long-term impact.

The constant demand for a World Series will come to a head. How will the Phillies respond?

The Los Angeles Angels will reopen the schedule with a three-game weekend set at Citizens Bank Park. They haven't announced their starting probables yet.

The Halos sit two games below .500 and four games outside the AL playoff field. Local favorite Mike Trout will certainly draw a crowd from over the bridge in South Jersey.

Jesus Luzardo, Taijuan Walker, and Ranger Suarez will start the respective three games while first-half standouts Zack Wheeler and Cristopher Sanchez utilize the break for additional rest.

All numbers as of the MLB All-Star Break. All advanced stats courtesy of StatCast, Baseball Reference, and FanGraphs.