Kerry Wood Stats & Scouting Report — College Baseball, MLB Draft, Prospects

Full name Kerry Lee Wood
Born 06/16/1977 in Irving, TX
Profile Ht.: 6'5" / Wt.: 210 / Bats: R / Throws: R
School Grand Prairie
Debut 04/12/1998
Drafted in the 1st round (4th overall) by the Chicago Cubs in 1995 (signed for $1,265,000).

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Wood has an exceptional arm. Not only is the velocity on his fastball equal to that of any pitcher in the draft, but it has heavy, late boring action. His curve also has a tight rotation, giving him two well above-average pitches that he throws with a minimum effort. Scouts say Wood is so advanced that he should be ready for the big leagues faster than all but one or two college pitchers.

Top Rankings

After being limited to seven innings in his pro debut because of a respiratory illness, Wood showed in 1996 he could be just as dominating as he was in high school. He was voted the No. 1 prospect in the Florida State League despite being the youngest player in the league. He missed a month with a tender elbow but led Cubs minor leaguers in strikeouts and started both of Daytona's no-hitters. Wood is a potential No. 1 starter in the big leagues. He has a mid-90s fastball, and as he matures could add more velocity. His curveball can be inconsistent, but when he's in command it's a knee-buckler. You have to get picky to find fault. Wood's changeup is a tad below-average.