Wagner is the 366th former Northwoods League player to debut in MLB
Rochester, Minn. – Former Kenosha Kingfish Will Wagner made his Major League debut for the Toronto Blue Jays on Monday, August 12, 2024. Wagner is the 366th former Northwoods League player to reach the Major League level.
Wagner, who played collegiately at Liberty University, played for the Kenosha Kingfish in 2018. He was drafted in the 18th round of the 2021 MLB draft by the Houston Astros.
In 2018 with the Kingfish, Wagner played in 64 games and hit .257 with two home runs, two triples, and 12 doubles. He drove in 31, stole seven bases, and scored 29 times.
Wagner began his professional career in 2021 with the Fayetteville Woodpeckers of the Low-A East League. In 31 games he hit .299 with two home runs and 14 RBI. He also had eight doubles, five stolen bases and 22 runs scored.
In 2022 Wagner started the season with the Asheville Tourists of the High-A South Atlantic League. After 45 games he was promoted to the Corpus Christi Hooks of the AA Texas League. Between the two clubs he played in 117 games and hit .261 with 10 home runs, 19 doubles, and three triples. He scored 62 times, drove in 53, and stole eight bases.
Wagner started the 2023 season in Corpus Christi and then was sent, after 53 games, to the Sugar Land Space Cowboys of the AAA Pacific Coast League. He played in a combined 65 games at both levels and hit .337 with seven home runs, 20 doubles, and two triples. He stole six bases, walked 35 times, and drove in 38.
Prior to his callup to the Blue Jays, Wagner had started the season with Sugar Land where he played in 70 games and hit .307 with five home runs, three stolen bases, and 41 RBI. On July 29 Houston sent Wagner, former Kalamazoo Growler Joey Loperfido, and right-hander Jake Bloss to the Blue Jays for Yusei Kikuchi. Wagner played in seven games with the Buffalo Bisons of the AAA International League and was hitting .400 with two doubles and six runs scored. In his Major League debut against the Los Angeles Angels, Wagner started the game at second base and went 3 for 4 at the plate with an RBI and a run scored. The lineup for the Blue Jays had four former Northwoods League players. Ernie Clement (Wisconsin Rapids) at third, Daulton Varsho (Eau Claire) in center field, Wagner at third base, and Joey Loperfido (Kalamazoo) in left field. Zach Pop (St. Cloud) also entered the game in relief.
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The Northwoods League is the proven leader in the development of elite college baseball players. Now in its’ 31st season, the Northwoods League is the largest organized baseball league in history with 26 teams, drawing significantly more fans, in a friendly ballpark experience, than any league of its kind. A valuable training ground for coaches, umpires, and front office staff, over 365 Northwoods League players have advanced to Major League Baseball, including three-time All-Star and 2016 Roberto Clemente Award winner Curtis Granderson, three-time Cy Young Award winner and two-time World Series Champion Max Scherzer (TEX), two-time World Series Champions Ben Zobrist and Brandon Crawford (STL) and World Series Champion Chris Sale (ATL). As well as 2019 Rookie of the Year and 2019/2021 Home Run Derby Champion Pete Alonso (NYM) and 2023 World Series Champion, MLB All-Star, MLB Gold Glove and Silver Slugger winner and two-time All-MLB first team shortstop Marcus Semien (TEX). League games are viewable live on Northwoods League+ (at watch.northwoodsleague.com), ESPN+, and the Northwoods League Network. Learn more and find complete streaming schedules at watchnwl.com. For more information, visit www.northwoodsleague.com or download the Northwoods League Mobile App on the Apple App Store or on Google Play.