Will Bednar #86

Graduated from Mars Area High School just outside of Pittsburgh, where he played for his father, Andy. Was primarily a catcher as a sophomore in 2017 and pitched 15 innings. He broke out his junior year, going 8-0 with a 0.64 ERA for the Fightin’ Planets...Is the middle child with an older brother, David, and a younger sister, Danielle...David and Will share season tickets to the Pittsburgh Steelers (they each have two seats apiece)...David, a two-time All-Star with his hometown Pirates in 2022 and 2023, is a reliever for the Yankees...Danielle attends Louisville and was a member of their rowing team. During the summer of 2024, Danielle was an intern with the Pirates PR department...The Bednar family grew up in Valencia, Pa., 30 minutes north of Pittsburgh. They were all Pirates fans. Will’s favorite players were Gerrit Cole & Andrew McCutchen...His father, Andy, played baseball and football at Cornell and is now a math teacher and coach (baseball and football) at Mars Area High School...Will originally committed to playing collegiately at Ohio State before switching his commitment to Mississippi State...Will officially signed his pro contract at Oracle Park on July 23, 2021, hours before the SF was set to take on his brother’s Pittsburgh Pirates. The two got a photo on the field after the game...Bednar was a standout for Mississippi State in its run to the 2021 NCAA Baseball National Championship...Named the 2021 Men’s College World Series Most Outstanding Player as he went 3-0 with a 1.47 ERA (3 ER, 18.1 IP) in three starts in Omaha, including the win in the clinching game vs. Vanderbilt (six hitless innings).

2025

Appeared in a career-high 38 games (36 with Double-A Richmond and two with Triple-A Sacramento) in what was his first full season pitching out of the bullpen...Went 2-2 with a 4.97 ERA (28 ER, 50.2 IP), 84 strikeouts and one save for Richmond...overall, posted a 2-3 record with a 5.68 ERA (33 ER, 52.1 IP), 84 strikeouts and one save...Had a 34.0% strikeout rate, which ranked third-best in the Giants system (min. 50.0 IP)...His 35.7% strikeout rate for Richmond was the second-best strikeout rate in Double-A (min 50.0ip) behind only the Mets’ Jonah Tong’s 40.8% rate...Went 0-1 with a 9.56 ERA (17 ER/16.0 IP) in first 13 outings from 4/4-6/5, went 2-1 with a 2.86 ERA (11 ER/34.2 IP, 59 K, 16 BB) over final 23 Double-A outings from 6/12-9/14, including 18 scoreless appearances...Had a 0.64 ERA (1er, 14.0ip) with 22 strikeouts in 10 games from Aug. 1 through Sept. 2. 

2024

Transitioned to the bullpen in early August and struck out 26 batters in 19.0 innings (13 games, one start).

2023

Had a back injury which limited him to just four games (three starts) in the ACL and six games in relief for the AFL’s Scottsdale squad.

2022

Entered the season ranked as the Giants’ sixth-best prospect per Baseball America...Named CAL Pitcher of the Week with San Jose for the week of May 1. Struck out five while allowing two walks, a hit batter and no hits over 5.0 innings vs. Modesto on April 22.