Three Georgia baseball players poised for breakouts in 2022

Luke Wagner, LHP/OF

Thanks to Shohei Ohtani of the Los Angeles Angels, two-way players have become fan favorites in baseball over the past few years. In his MVP 2021 season, Ohtani hit 46 home runs and 100 RBIs as a designated hitter. He also pitched to a 3.18 ERA with 156 strikeouts.

Georgia’s Luke Wagner is no Ohtani, but he is a player who can both hit and pitch for the Dawgs. Like his cousin Cole, a fellow Bulldog teammate, he has gotten off to a good start as a pitcher in 2022.

Luke is 2-0 so far and has not allowed a run yet. His work has mostly come out of the bullpen, with his most impressive performance coming against Wofford after he came into pitch following a lengthy weather delay.

The New Cumberland, PN native, had a great high school career. As a junior in 2019, Wagner went 11-2 with a 1.44 ERA pitching, and he also batted .385 at the plate. During his freshman year at Georgia, Wagner posted a 4.58 ERA in 17 appearances and hit .229 in 35 at-bats.

Wagner’s best role so far seems to be as a relief pitcher. He has gotten the Dawgs out of some tough situations this year and should continue doing so out of the bullpen. I expect him to get more pitching than hitting opportunities this season due to the talent of Georgia’s hitters this year.

That being said, don’t discount Wagner’s bat. He isn’t a guy who will be in the everyday lineup, but he can be a solid option as a pinch hitter. He was 3-for-9 with an RBI double off the bench last year. Though he isn’t flashy, Wagner is a guy who will get outs as a pitcher and find ways to get on base late in games.

Along with others on the Bulldog roster, these players will be critical if this team wants to make a run at the College World Series. It’s a long season, and each day provides an opportunity for someone to go from player to legend.