Blake Wood, Relief Pitcher


Date of Birth: 8/8/1985
Birthplace: Atlanta, Georgia
College: Georgia Institute of Technology

Blake Wood, relief pitcher, was first drafted in 2006 by the Kansas City Royals. He pitched in the Royals' minor league system from 2006 through 2009.

Wood pitched in 51 games with the Royals in 2010. He had control issues, walking 22 batters while striking out just 31. He finished the season with 1 win and 3 losses and a 5.07 ERA in 49.2 innings. The following season, he fared better, finishing with a 3.75 ERA in 55 games.

Wood had season ending Tommy John surgery in May, 2012. He didn't play at all that season. The Cleveland Indians claimed him off waivers in November, 2012. He spent most of the 2013 season on the DL, recovering from his surgery. He pitched just 1.1 innings in 2 games with the Indians.

The Royals claimed Wood off waivers on June 2, 2014. He spent most of the 2014 season in the minors, pitching just 6.1 innings in 7 games with the Indians.

Wood signed a minor league contract with the Pittsburgh Pirates in November, 2014. He spent the entire 2015 season in the minors.

The Cincinnati Reds signed Wood on November 20, 2015. He had a full season with them in 2016, pitching in 70 games. He finished the season with 6 wins and 5 losses, 1 save, 81 strikeouts to 38 walks, and a 3.99 ERA in 76.2 innings.

The Reds designated Wood for assignment on August 23, 2017. Two days later, he was claimed off waivers by the Los Angeles Angels. He finished the 2017 season with 3 wins and 4 losses, 84 strikeouts to 33 walks, and a 5.45 ERA in 55 games with the Reds and 17 games with the Angels.

Wood had season ending Tommy John surgery on May 30, 2018. In 13 games with the Angels, he had a 2.31 ERA in 11.2 innings.

Wood became a free agent on October 29, 2018. He hasn't played professional baseball since 2018.

Career pitching statistics for Wood through 2018 include:

  • 270 games played
  • 289.2 innings pitched
  • 16-16 win-loss record
  • 276 strikeouts to 142 walks
  • 4.47 ERA

Sources for Information
Wikipedia - Blake Wood
ESPN - Blake Wood