SF Giants: 5 fun facts about first-round pick Will Bednar

Right-handed pitcher Will Bednar was drafted by the SF Giants out of Mississippi State in the first round of the 2021 MLB draft with the 14th overall selection. Bednar’s first year in college was cut short by the COVID-19 pandemic, but he posted a 1.76 ERA with 23 strikeouts and just 6 walks over 15.1 innings pitched in the spring of 2020. This college baseball season, he finished the year with 139 strikeouts across 92.1 innings pitched with 26 walks and a 3.12 ERA.

Bednar has a powerful arsenal, primarily relying on a mid-90s fastball and wipeout slider, but occasionally mixing in a changeup that will likely be a focus of his early development as a professional. However, while fans are surely interested in reading more scouting reports on the righty, let’s take a minute to recap five fun facts about the 21 year old.

Fun facts about SF Giants top pick Will Bednar
1. His father was his high school coach

While Bednar spent his college days in the deep south, he was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and attended Mars Area High School in a Pittsburgh suburb. His father, Andy Bednar, worked at the high school for several years as a math teacher, baseball coach, and football coach. He resigned as the head baseball coach in the summer of 2019 after serving on the team’s staff for 23 years. Andy is credited with building Mars into one of the strongest baseball programs in the area.

Andy has an impressive baseball-playing resume of his own. After starring for a Pittsburgh area high school, he attended Cornell University, where he competed on the mound against Ivy League competition. Needless to say, Bednar’s father clearly played a pivotal role in his maturation as both a person and player.

Fun facts about SF Giants top pick Will Bednar
2. He was named the Most Outstanding Player of the 2021 College World Series

As the Mississippi State baseball team worked their way towards the 2021 College World Series title, Will Bednar was pivotal to their success. In fact, his contributions were so significant that he was named the Most Outstanding Player of the event. While Bednar made three starts, posting a 1.47 ERA across 18.1 innings of work, his final appearance of the season clearly left the biggest mark.

In the final game of the season, with the Bulldogs in a winner-take-all game for the national championship, Bednar was asked to start on three days rest after throwing 97 pitches in a victory over Texas. That short of a turnaround is noticeable even for big-league pitchers, but in college, where starters usually only pitch in one game a week, the turnaround was even more dramatic.

Bednar answered the call and was as effective as ever. Going up against Vanderbilt star Kumar Rocker (who was selected by the New York Mets with the tenth overall pick on Sunday), Bednar faced off against the star-studded Commodore lineup and did not surrender a hit over seven innings of work.

Landon Sims relieved Bednar and allowed the only Vanderbilt hit of the game, but the result was clearly decided. Mississippi State pulled out a dominating 9-0 victory and cemented their place in college baseball history. Entering the College World Series, Bednar was considered a borderline first-round prospect. However, after multiple strong performances on short rest against elite competition, his stock quickly rose.

Fun facts about SF Giants top pick Will Bednar
3. His brother pitches for the Pirates

David Bednar has been an effective high-leverage arm for the Pittsburgh Pirates this season. In fact, David was traveling home for the All-Star break when the draft began and returned home just five minutes after the Giants drafted Will. Like his younger brother, David relies on a premium fastball that is averaging 96.7 mph this season. In 39 appearances for the Pirates in 2021, Bednar has struck out 42 batters, walked 12, and posted a 3.09 ERA across 35 innings pitched.

Unlike the Giants top draft pick, David was never considered a top prospect, attending Lafeyette College before he was drafted by the San Diego Padres in the 35th round of the 2016 draft. Things quickly changed once he first appeared in pro ball. David shot his way through the minor leagues, never posting an ERA higher than 2.98 and striking out at least 11.6 batters per nine innings at every level.

In 2019, after dominating for most of the season at Double-A, the Padres promoted Bednar to their MLB roster just in time to finish a 1-2-3 inning in his big-league debut against none other than the SF Giants. While his first appearance went well, adjusting to the highest level of competition took time. Bednar made 13 appearances for San Diego in 2019 and finished the season with a 6.55 ERA.

Without minor league baseball in 2020, Bednar received a few more opportunities with the Padres but failed to find a permanent spot on the roster. Following the season, Padres general manager A.J. Preller opted to send Bednar to Pittsburgh as part of the Joe Musgrove trade. Now with his hometown team, Bednar found another gear and has emerged as one of the Pirates best relievers.

Fun facts about SF Giants top pick Will Bednar
4. He’s met Will Clark

It’s nothing against the Giants first-round selection, but it’s going to take some time before he’s the most popular (or accomplished) Mississippi State alum to don the Orange and Black. In fact, he’s not even the first Bulldog named Will to be selected by San Francisco in the first round. Of course, the Giants drafted Mississippi State Hall of Famer Will Clark with the second overall pick in the 1985 MLB draft. Needless to say, “Will the Thrill” quickly shot his way to the big leagues, won the NLCS MVP in 1989, and became one of the greatest first basemen in franchise history.

Across eight seasons with the Giants, Clark made five All-Star teams, won two Silver Sluggers, one gold glove, and hit .299/.373/.499 before he signed a free-agent contract with the Texas Rangers. Clark retired following the 2000 season at 36-years old but still posted a .916 OPS and bashed 21 home runs in his final professional season. Needless to say, if Bednar approaches Clark’s success as an MLB player, the Giants will have made one of the best picks in franchise history.

In fact, Clark and Bednar have actually met on multiple occasions. In a videoconference with reporters on Sunday, he said, “I’ve gotten to meet him [Clark] and talk to him a few times… He’s been around our clubhouse a little bit this past year. It’s really cool to be going to the Giants, especially when the other guy from Mississippi State has gone there and been a legend.”

Bednar’s connections to the Giants go beyond his fellow college alumni. When his brother was a freshman at Lafayette College, he played a series against Virginia Commonwealth University at the stadium used by the Giants Double-A affiliate Richmond Flying Squirrels. A high school sophomore at the time, Will went into the gift shop, bought a Flying Squirrels’ hat, and consistently wore it for the next year. Little did he know he was donning the logo of a team he will very likely play for at some point in the near future.