The son of Astros all-time saves leader Billy Wagner, Will spent four years at Liberty before signing for $50,000 as an 18th-rounder in 2021. Though his high baseball IQ stands out more than his tools, he hit his way to Double-A midway through his first full season and led the Arizona Fall League with a .712 slugging percentage during the offseason. He struggled through a hand injury early last year before having hamate surgery that cost him two months, then batted .371/.435/.572 in 39 games in Double-A and Triple-A after he returned. He was a solid performer back with Sugar Land to begin 2024 (with a notable 33/54 K/BB through 70 games) before he was dealt to the Blue Jays as part of a Deadline package for Yusei Kikuchi.
Wagner doesn't stand out with his tools, but he has a stellar approach and makes repeated contact to all fields with a compact left-handed swing. He doesn't generate exciting exit velocities and produces too many grounders, yet he consistently gets on base via hits and walks. He has some sneaky pop, including to the opposite field, but probably won't exceed 12-15 homers per season.
A below-average runner with a high baseball IQ, Wagner is opportunistic on the bases. A sure-handed defender, he lacks the quickness for second base and the arm strength for third, and the Astros moved him primarily to first base in 2024 just before the trade. He doesn't profile particularly well at any spot but could carve out a big league role with his on-base skills as he bounces around the infield.
The son of Astros all-time saves leader Billy Wagner, Will signed for $50,000 as an 18th-round pick after playing four years at Liberty. He quickly became an organization favorite as a steady performer with a high baseball IQ, hitting his way to Double-A midway through his first full pro season. He elicited some Joey Wendle comparisons while leading the Arizona Fall League with a .712 slugging percentage.
An average hitter with solid on-base skills but questionable power, Wilson may have the best offensive approach in the system. He has a compact left-handed swing, controls the strike zone and concentrates on making contact to all fields. He has a bit of sneaky pop from gap to gap but hits a lot of ground balls and doesn't generate big exit velocities, so he may top out at 10-12 homers per season.
Though Wagner has fringy speed, he has good instincts on the bases and has worked hard to improve his quickness on defense. He has sure hands and ordinary range at second base and played all four infield positions last year, preparing for a possible utility role in the future. He spent his AFL time at third base, though his arm is a bit light for regular duty on the left side of the infield.
Note: xHR tells how many of this player's home runs would have been out of other stadiums. The "Adjusted" view here accounts for different wall heights, distances and environmental effects using Statcast Park Factor data.
Standard
Year
HR
2024
2
1
2
3
1
2
1
2
1
1
1
1
2
1
1
2
1
1
2
2
2
2
2
1
1
1
1
1
2
1
2
Player
2
1
2
3
1
2
1
2
1
1
1
1
2
1
1
2
1
1
2
2
2
2
2
1
1
1
1
1
2
1
2
Note: xHR tells how many of this player's home runs would have been out of other stadiums. The "Standard" view here accounts for different wall heights and distances but excludes environmental effects. It is based purely on the observed trajectory of the hit.
! Note: Shifts are through the 2022 season, Shaded starting from the 2023 season, Shift: three or more infielders are on the same side of second base, Shade: positioned outside of their typical responsible slices of the field. Learn more about how positioning is defined here