The son of 2025 Hall of Fame inductee Billy Wagner, Will spent four years at Liberty before signing for $50,000 as an 18th-rounder in 2021. Since a successful stint in the 2022 Arizona Fall League, though, Wagner has been raising his ceiling as a prospect, and that continued in ‘24 when he posted a .307/.424/.429 line over 70 games to open the season with Houston’s Triple-A Sugar Land affiliate. That’s when the trade to Toronto came, as Wagner was packaged with Jake Bloss and Joey Loperfido for Yusei Kikuchi. While Wagner didn’t feel like the headliner at the time, that’s changed.
Wagner impressed down the stretch with the Blue Jays, batting .305 over 24 games while impressing coaches and teammates with his baseball IQ, which has always been one of his strongest traits. Wagner’s offensive game doesn’t leap off the screen at you, but he has a solid approach and picks his spots well. There’s some leadoff potential down the road for Wagner, and while he’s not going to be a 30-homer threat, he’s increased his exit velocities and has been working to drive the ball more consistently. That profile, particularly from the left side, is right up the Blue Jays’ alley.
Wagner is fundamentally sound as a defender and smart situationally, but he’s likelier to move around the infield than settle in at one permanent spot. His arm will be tested at third base, but his bat would be a curious match for first base outside of some reserve reps. All Wagner has done in pro ball is exceed expectations, though, and coming back from a late-2024 knee procedure at full health, he’s set himself up well for ‘25. Wagner is a good example of the value of trust from coaches. He’s earned that quickly, so he’ll be given every opportunity to be a regular fixture in Toronto's lineup.
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.
These run values are leveraged, meaning the base/out situation at the time of the event does impact the run value (thus introducing context outside the batter's own contribution).
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
