Baltimore Orioles: Draft Day One Recap and Analysis

Stillwater High School senior Jackson Holliday is projected to be the Baltimore Orioles first-round pick in July's MLB Draft.
Stillwater High School senior Jackson Holliday is projected to be the Baltimore Orioles first-round pick in July's MLB Draft. /
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Round 2 Pick 42: Max Wagner, 3B, Clemson University

Clemson sophomore Max Wagner (29) hits a three run home run against Boston College during the bottom of the seventh inning at Doug Kingsmore Stadium in Clemson Friday, May 20, 2022.Clemson University Tigers Vs Boston College Ncaa Baseball
Clemson sophomore Max Wagner (29) hits a three run home run against Boston College during the bottom of the seventh inning at Doug Kingsmore Stadium in Clemson Friday, May 20, 2022.Clemson University Tigers Vs Boston College Ncaa Baseball /

Max Wagner had a prolific offensive season this past year for the Clemson Tigers which led him to being named the Atlantic Coast Conference player of the year as he tied the all-time Clemson record with 27 home runs during the season. Wagner came into the season as an afterthought but played himself into a day one selection with a slash line of .370/.496/.852 for an OPS of 1.348 in 58 games with the Tigers. Wagner also played well this past summer for his hometown Green Bay Booyahs of the Northwoods League where he slashed .313/.485/.566 with 6 home runs in 31 games. He has also shown good plate discipline as he had a walk rate above 21% in the Northwoods League as well as a 17.4% clip for Clemson this past season.

Wagner has plenty of raw strength which allows him to hit home runs and play third base. Within the Orioles system, Wagner seems like a similar prospect to Coby Mayo because both have plenty of raw strength that allows them to be highly ranked prospects, but Wagner is not nearly polished enough for his age to be a sure bet as an MLB player.