No-hitter from Arkansas standout might rewrite Reds’ draft board

Gage Wood just increased his draft stock tenfold after his no-hitter during Arkansas' College World Series victory over Murray State on Monday. The Razorbacks' right-hander was absolutely dominant against the Racers, and with the third no-hitter in College World Series history now part of his résumé, Wood may have garnered enough attention to be selected by the Cincinnati Reds in Round 1 of the 2025 MLB Draft.

The Reds currently hold the ninth-overall pick in next month's draft and a large majority of scouts believe Cincinnati has their sights set on a pitcher. Seth Hernandez has been mocked to the Reds several times over the last few weeks, but the probability that he'll last until No. 9 is becoming increasingly less likely.

There are other elite-level college arms expected to be on the board when Cincinnati makes their selection, but given Wood's meteoric rise following his no-hitter, the Reds could take the Arkansas hurler with their first-round pick and go with a high school standout in Round 2.

No-hitter from Arkansas standout might rewrite Reds’ draft board

Frankly, it wouldn't be surprising in the least to the Reds select Wood in Round 1. It's been the team's MO the past two years, and would be very much in line with draft strategy of taking up-the-middle talent. The Reds selected Rhett Lowder in Round 1 two years ago and added Sammy Stafura in Round 2. Chase Burns was Cincinnati's first-round pick in 2024 and they nabbed Tyson Lewis with their second-round selection.

Wood might not be battling it out with the likes of Kade Anderson (LSU) and Jamie Arnold (Florida State) at the top of most draft boards, but he may now be in the conversation with pitchers like Kyson Witherspoon (Oklahoma) and Liam Doyle (Tennessee). Adding an arm like Wood would then allow Cincinnati to dip into the prep ranks with prospects like Nick Becker, Alex Blair, and Dean Moss available when the Reds pick again at No. 51.

The Reds surrendered their Competitive Balance Round selection as part of their trade with the Los Angeles Dodgers for Gavin Lux. With Lowder and Burns both tracking to be part of the Reds rotation by season's end, Cincinnati will need to restock the farm system with some top-end pitching talent. Wood proved on Monday that he can be that type of player, and why he should be moving up on the Reds' draft board.

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