Will Bednar Stats & Scouting Report

IP	32.2
ERA	7.71
WHIP	1.9
BB/9	9.92
SO/9	11.85

Full name William Ross Bednar
Born 06/13/2000 in Pittsburgh, PA
Profile Ht.: 6'2" / Wt.: 230 / Bats: R / Throws: R
School Mississippi State
Drafted in the 1st round (14th overall) by the San Francisco Giants in 2021 (signed for $3,650,000).

View Draft Report

Bednar was trending in the right direction with both his fastball velocity and the efficiency with his delivery during his senior year of high school, but he suffered a shoulder injury and wound up making it to campus at Mississippi State. He impressed in a limited look during the shortened 2020 season, posting a 1.76 ERA in 15.1 innings with a fastball up into the mid 90s and three solid secondaries. His draft-eligible second season was delayed thanks to a neck injury, but since ramping up in late March, he’s been reliable, posting a 3.17 ERA through 12 starts and 71 innings, while striking out 109 batters (13.8 K/9) and walking 18 (2.3 BB/9). Bednar throws a fastball that sits in the 92-94 mph range and touches 97, but the pitch plays up and gets an impressive amount of whiffs, especially up in the zone. Both his slider and changeup have been swing-and-miss offerings for him this spring, though he’s relied much more heavily on the breaking ball. His slider is a mid-80s pitch with hard and tight bite that has good vertical action when he’s on top of the pitch and keeping it down, but it has flattened out at times when he leaves it up in the zone. Bednar’s changeup is a similar velocity, with arm-side running action and while it’s been effective in generating whiffs and limiting hard contact, he uses it less than 10% of the time. Bednar is physical with some effort in his delivery, but he’s filled up the strike zone this spring. His brother, David, is a reliever for the Pirates.

Top Rankings

Organization Prospect Rankings

BA Grade/Risk: 45/High

Track Record: Bednar began his first full season at Low-A San Jose in 2022 with high expectations, but he instead delivered a middling performance over 12 starts before going on the injured list with a season-ending lower back strain. He returned in the Arizona Fall League but made only two starts before his back strain recurred and shut him down.

Scouting Report: Bednar's fastball and slider combination made him a top pitcher in college, but his fastball regressed since signing. His velocity has dropped from 92-96 mph in college to 90-94 as a pro, making his fastball a fringe-average pitch that gets hit frequently despite solid spin rates and vertical break. His slider remains a potential plus pitch in the low-80s with high spin rates and good shape he can land for strikes or get chase swings with. He rarely uses his below-average changeup in the upper-80s and struggles to find a consistent release point on it. In addition to his loss of velocity, Bednar showed a surprising lack of aggression on the mound and showed fringy control, far from what he showed at Mississippi State.

The Future: Bednar must regain his fastball velocity to have any future as a starter in the major leagues. Otherwise, he'll have to try and ride his slider to a bullpen role.

Scouting Grades: Fastball: 45. Slider: 60. Changeup: 40. Control: 45
Track Record: Bednar, whose brother David is a reliever with the Pirates, got his moment in the sun in June, when Mississippi State won the College World Series. Bednar pitched six hitless innings in the clincher over Vanderbilt and was named the tournament’s Most Outstanding Player. The Giants drafted him with their first-round selection and signed him for $3,647,500. Although he didn’t pitch in the series, Bednar added a second championship ring when his San Jose club won the Low-A West title.

Scouting Report: Bednar makes his bones on an outstanding three-pitch mix fronted by a dynamic fastball-slider combination. His fastball typically sits around 92-94 mph but has touched as high as 97 and plays well when thrown up in the strike zone. Bednar’s mid-80s slider shows excellent downer action and is his primary weapon to get swings and misses. He rounds out the mix with a changeup that comes in around the mid 80s and shows armside run at its best. Bednar used the changeup sparingly in college and will have to rely on it more in pro ball in order to establish himself as a potential rotation option. He projects to have average control and issued just one walk in seven innings as a pro.

The Future: After getting his feet wet in 2021, Bednar will get his first full test as a pro in 2022, likely at High-A Eugene. He has a ceiling of a mid-rotation starter.

Draft Prospects

Bednar was trending in the right direction with both his fastball velocity and the efficiency with his delivery during his senior year of high school, but he suffered a shoulder injury and wound up making it to campus at Mississippi State. He impressed in a limited look during the shortened 2020 season, posting a 1.76 ERA in 15.1 innings with a fastball up into the mid 90s and three solid secondaries. His draft-eligible second season was delayed thanks to a neck injury, but since ramping up in late March, he’s been reliable, posting a 3.17 ERA through 12 starts and 71 innings, while striking out 109 batters (13.8 K/9) and walking 18 (2.3 BB/9). Bednar throws a fastball that sits in the 92-94 mph range and touches 97, but the pitch plays up and gets an impressive amount of whiffs, especially up in the zone. Both his slider and changeup have been swing-and-miss offerings for him this spring, though he’s relied much more heavily on the breaking ball. His slider is a mid-80s pitch with hard and tight bite that has good vertical action when he’s on top of the pitch and keeping it down, but it has flattened out at times when he leaves it up in the zone. Bednar’s changeup is a similar velocity, with arm-side running action and while it’s been effective in generating whiffs and limiting hard contact, he uses it less than 10% of the time. Bednar is physical with some effort in his delivery, but he’s filled up the strike zone this spring. His brother, David, is a reliever for the Pirates.
A strong, 6-foot-2, 210-pound righthander committed to Mississippi State, Bednar showed scouts a fastball that ranged from the upper 80s to low 90s last summer. This spring, he came out with improved velocity and reached the 95-96 mph range, cleaning up a delivery that previously featured some head whack and crossfiring action in his lower half. Bednar had previously struggled to consistently repeat his release point, although it sounds like he has started moving in the right direction to correct that this spring. Bednar throws two distinct breaking balls, a sweeping slider in the 78-81 mph range and an 11-to-5 curveball that has shape but needs more power to become a swing-and-miss pitch. Bednar also has a changeup that could develop into a fourth solid offering. Bednar has professional bloodlines as his older brother, David, is currently a pitching prospect with the Padres and has touched 100 mph with a similar build and frame as the younger Bednar.

Scouting Reports

BA Grade/Risk: 45/High

Track Record: Bednar began his first full season at Low-A San Jose in 2022 with high expectations, but he instead delivered a middling performance over 12 starts before going on the injured list with a season-ending lower back strain. He returned in the Arizona Fall League but made only two starts before his back strain recurred and shut him down.

Scouting Report: Bednar's fastball and slider combination made him a top pitcher in college, but his fastball regressed since signing. His velocity has dropped from 92-96 mph in college to 90-94 as a pro, making his fastball a fringe-average pitch that gets hit frequently despite solid spin rates and vertical break. His slider remains a potential plus pitch in the low-80s with high spin rates and good shape he can land for strikes or get chase swings with. He rarely uses his below-average changeup in the upper-80s and struggles to find a consistent release point on it. In addition to his loss of velocity, Bednar showed a surprising lack of aggression on the mound and showed fringy control, far from what he showed at Mississippi State.

The Future: Bednar must regain his fastball velocity to have any future as a starter in the major leagues. Otherwise, he'll have to try and ride his slider to a bullpen role.

Scouting Grades: Fastball: 45. Slider: 60. Changeup: 40. Control: 45
BA Grade/Risk: 45/High

Track Record: Bednar began his first full season at Low-A San Jose in 2022 with high expectations, but he instead delivered a middling performance over 12 starts before going on the injured list with a season-ending lower back strain. He returned in the Arizona Fall League but made only two starts before his back strain recurred and shut him down.

Scouting Report: Bednar's fastball and slider combination made him a top pitcher in college, but his fastball regressed since signing. His velocity has dropped from 92-96 mph in college to 90-94 as a pro, making his fastball a fringe-average pitch that gets hit frequently despite solid spin rates and vertical break. His slider remains a potential plus pitch in the low-80s with high spin rates and good shape he can land for strikes or get chase swings with. He rarely uses his below-average changeup in the upper-80s and struggles to find a consistent release point on it. In addition to his loss of velocity, Bednar showed a surprising lack of aggression on the mound and showed fringy control, far from what he showed at Mississippi State.

The Future: Bednar must regain his fastball velocity to have any future as a starter in the major leagues. Otherwise, he'll have to try and ride his slider to a bullpen role.

Scouting Grades: Fastball: 45. Slider: 60. Changeup: 40. Control: 45
BA Grade: 50/High

Midseason Update: After a starring role in the 2021 College World Series, Bednar has never quite recaptured the same electricity as a professional. He now works with a low-90s fastball and a potentially plus slider that serves as his main weapon. Optimistic scouts see a back-end starter while others see a pure reliever who makes his money with the slider and a fastball that could see velocity gains if he were to air it out for an inning or two at a time.

Track Record: Bednar, whose brother David is a reliever with the Pirates, got his moment in the sun in June, when Mississippi State won the College World Series. Bednar pitched six hitless innings in the clincher over Vanderbilt and was named the tournament&#39s Most Outstanding Player. The Giants drafted him with their first-round selection and signed him for $3,647,500. Although he didn&#39t pitch in the series, Bednar added a second championship ring when his San Jose club won the Low-A West title.

Scouting Report: Bednar makes his bones on an outstanding three-pitch mix fronted by a dynamic fastball-slider combination. His fastball typically sits around 92-94 mph but has touched as high as 97 and plays well when thrown up in the strike zone. Bednar&#39s mid-80s slider shows excellent downer action and is his primary weapon to get swings and misses. He rounds out the mix with a changeup that comes in around the mid 80s and shows armside run at its best. Bednar used the changeup sparingly in college and will have to rely on it more in pro ball in order to establish himself as a potential rotation option. He projects to have average control and issued just one walk in seven innings as a pro.

The Future: After getting his feet wet in 2021, Bednar will get his first full test as a pro in 2022, likely at High-A Eugene. He has a ceiling of a mid-rotation starter.

Scouting Grades: Fastball: 60. Slider: 60. Changeup: 50. Control: 50.
Track Record: Bednar, whose brother David is a reliever with the Pirates, got his moment in the sun in June, when Mississippi State won the College World Series. Bednar pitched six hitless innings in the clincher over Vanderbilt and was named the tournament’s Most Outstanding Player. The Giants drafted him with their first-round selection and signed him for $3,647,500. Although he didn’t pitch in the series, Bednar added a second championship ring when his San Jose club won the Low-A West title.

Scouting Report: Bednar makes his bones on an outstanding three-pitch mix fronted by a dynamic fastball-slider combination. His fastball typically sits around 92-94 mph but has touched as high as 97 and plays well when thrown up in the strike zone. Bednar’s mid-80s slider shows excellent downer action and is his primary weapon to get swings and misses. He rounds out the mix with a changeup that comes in around the mid 80s and shows armside run at its best. Bednar used the changeup sparingly in college and will have to rely on it more in pro ball in order to establish himself as a potential rotation option. He projects to have average control and issued just one walk in seven innings as a pro.

The Future: After getting his feet wet in 2021, Bednar will get his first full test as a pro in 2022, likely at High-A Eugene. He has a ceiling of a mid-rotation starter.
Bednar was trending in the right direction with both his fastball velocity and the efficiency with his delivery during his senior year of high school, but he suffered a shoulder injury and wound up making it to campus at Mississippi State. He impressed in a limited look during the shortened 2020 season, posting a 1.76 ERA in 15.1 innings with a fastball up into the mid 90s and three solid secondaries. His draft-eligible second season was delayed thanks to a neck injury, but since ramping up in late March, he's been reliable, posting a 3.17 ERA through 12 starts and 71 innings, while striking out 109 batters (13.8 K/9) and walking 18 (2.3 BB/9). Bednar throws a fastball that sits in the 92-94 mph range and touches 97, but the pitch plays up and gets an impressive amount of whiffs, especially up in the zone. Both his slider and changeup have been swing-and-miss offerings for him this spring, though he's relied much more heavily on the breaking ball. His slider is a mid-80s pitch with hard and tight bite that has good vertical action when he's on top of the pitch and keeping it down, but it has flattened out at times when he leaves it up in the zone. Bednar's changeup is a similar velocity, with arm-side running action and while it's been effective in generating whiffs and limiting hard contact, he uses it less than 10% of the time. Bednar is physical with some effort in his delivery, but he's filled up the strike zone this spring. His brother, David, is a reliever for the Pirates.