Inside Will Wagner’s pivotal off-season

DUNEDIN, Fla. – Will Wagner wasn’t around for the biggest moment of his father’s baseball career. 

This past January, when Billy Wagner received a phone call informing him that he’d been elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame, his son wasn’t at the family home in Virginia. As the retired closer broke down in tears, Will could only take in the scene through a video call. 

“I FaceTimed my brother and he showed me the emotions going on in the room,” Wagner recalls. “It was awesome.”

Wagner wanted to be there, but both he and his father knew that he needed to be elsewhere to further his own career. Wagner was in Dunedin, Fla., where he was rehabbing at the Toronto Blue Jays‘ player development complex. 

The Blue Jays infielder is healthy now as he navigates an important spring training, yet the road to this point wasn’t exactly easy. His winter was essentially defined by that rehab. 

Wagner’s 2024 season ended on Sept. 17 when he was placed on the injured list with left knee inflammation. A few days later, he underwent a minor arthroscopic procedure on that knee. 

He walked out of the hospital the same day but was on crutches for about two weeks. Wagner didn’t start swinging a bat until November, which is typically late for him, and wasn’t cleared for running until December. All the while, he was focused on strengthening his left knee with plenty of single-leg exercises in the weight room. 

The result of all that work is that the 26-year-old is finally feeling like himself again after being bothered by the nagging knee issue last year during his brief showcase with the Blue Jays. 

“I’m glad that he’s healthy,” says Blue Jays manager John Schneider. “We knew the version of Will we were getting last year was a one-legged version, if you will.”

Wagner joined the Blue Jays along with Jake Bloss and Joey Loperfido in the July trade that sent Yusei Kikuchi to the Houston Astros. He produced a .788 OPS over 24 games with Toronto, which tracked with his reputation as a solid left-handed hitter who can provide quality at-bats. Over four minor-league campaigns, Wagner owns a .297/.402/.441 slashline with nearly as many walks as strikeouts. 

While his bat has proven impressive, Wagner, an 18th-round pick in the 2021 MLB draft out of Liberty University, has never really found a positional home. 

After playing second base with the Blue Jays last season, he’s now getting reps at third and is expected to also see time at first base and as a designated hitter. There are plenty of moving parts involved as Wagner could spell Ernie Clement at third or Vladimir Guerrero Jr. at first, while also offering a left-handed option in the DH spot. 

Oh, and to really lean into his role as a baseball vagabond, Wagner is also a candidate to hit leadoff in some games. 

It can be a lot for a rookie to take on, which is why Schneider delivered a simple message to Wagner at the beginning of camp.

“‘Just go play,’” recounts the manager. “‘Don’t worry about what you’re doing or where you’re playing, just go play.’ And I think it’s easy to assume that he knows the drill because of his background with his dad. And he does, but I think (it was important to) reinforce that, ‘Go play and know that you’re a part of what we’re trying to do here.’”

Wagner has yet to man third base in a major-league game but does have some experience there at various levels in the minors — he’s logged a total of 628.2 innings at the hot corner over four different seasons, compared to 451.2 innings at first base and 1,104.1 at second.

“I’ll play wherever,” he says. “In the minor leagues, I was kind of moving everywhere.” 

Regarding his work at third, Wagner says he’s still a work in progress and his goal is to improve on footwork — drop steps are especially key given the quicker reactions at the hot corner. To improve on that, he’s been working closely with Clement, constantly picking the incumbent’s brain and taking notes along the way. 

Clement developed his own internal clock in the field by watching and working alongside Jose Ramirez during their time together in Cleveland. Clement says he’s happy to pay it forward with Wagner and notes that he’s observed improvement in his young teammate. 

“You can see the wheels turning and he’s starting to learn that,” Clement says of Wagner’s feel for the pace of the game. “I think the more he does it and the more he gets comfortable over there, he’s going to be really, really good. 

“I remember people used to knock him for his arm,” adds Clement, “And I’m over there playing with him and I’m like, ‘This guy has an absolute cannon.’ He’s got a great arm and he can absolutely pick it at third.”

There have been recent flashes of those developing instincts. On Tuesday afternoon, Wagner made a nice read on a bunt by DaShawn Keirsey Jr. in the fifth inning. The left-handed hitter made contact with a high cutter and lifted it in the air toward third base. Wagner didn’t hesitate and raced in to catch the ball while sliding on the grass.

That’s the kind of play that could increase Wagner’s value on the diamond and, on that front, Clement is confident about his teammate. 

“I think guys know how important he’s going to be for our team,” says Clement. “He’s going to help us win a lot of baseball games.”

That possibility wouldn’t exist without Wagner’s sacrifices this past winter. They were worth it to him, even if it meant missing out on a huge moment with his father.

“Of course I wanted to be there,” says Wagner. “But my dad knew that I needed to be here. But I talked to him a lot after that. I was really happy for him.”

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