Philadelphia Phillies get a glimpse of the future as Gage Wood competes in the 2026 MLB Futures Game.
The Philadelphia Phillies home ballpark will be the epicenter and stage for the game's biggest stars early this week, with Citizens Bank Park hosting All-Star Weekend.
Before all of the festivities get underway, Philadelphia hosted the 2026 MLB Futures Game.
Starting the game for the National League was the Phillies' own top pitching prospect, Gage Wood.
Wood pitched just one inning and allowed one earned run, but he still made a statement with his fastball, which reached the high 90s at times, topping out at 97.7 mph.
Sunday could be a glimpse of the future for both the Phillies and Wood. The 22-year-old is already at Double-A, and the Phillies have shown they can move him quickly through the system.
If that trend continues, Wood could be pitching in the Majors sooner rather than later, and he owned that reality after the game.
The first thing Wood reflected on after the game was simply what it was like to pitch in a big-league stadium before an audience.
"It was awesome. The fans showed up. It was loud. It was fun. I know before the first pitch my heart was pumping," Wood said after the game.
“I looked up and I was like, ‘Wow, this looks way bigger than from the suite when we were here when we signed last year.' That was awesome. The park’s huge. Everybody was like, ‘Man, you got a good home park.’ and I was like, ‘Yeah, this place is sick.'"
Jul 12, 2026; Philadelphia, PA, USA; National League pitcher Gage Wood (14) stands on the mound against American League in the first inning at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Ross-Imagn ImagesNow that Wood has gotten a taste of pitching in the Phillies' home ballpark, he admitted he doesn't want to go back to the Minors.
"It was awesome," he said.
"You come to this place and, you know, it makes you not want to go back. But that just puts it in your mind, You just got to keep working, you know, and keep striving for where you want to make it one day."
Wood has had a tremendous Minor League season so far. In 16 starts across two levels in 2026, the right-hander has a 3.44 ERA and a 1.13 WHIP with elite command and 12.93 strikeouts per nine innings.
He's a true future star in baseball, and that reality for Wood could sooner rather than later.
Phillies Roundtable also offers a fan community and message board. We’d love to have you join us to talk all things Phillies. Click the “Join” button at the top of the page to join our community for free.
