Preble's Max Wagner becomes first Green Bay public school player drafted by MLB team

GREEN BAY – Max Wagner often talked in high school about his dream of someday playing in the major leagues.

The former Green Bay Preble star and Clemson third baseman took a big step toward achieving it Sunday night.

Wagner was picked by the Baltimore Orioles in the second round of MLB’s first-year player draft. He was the 42nd overall selection, which comes with a slot value of just more than $1.8 million.

He is the first baseball player from one of the four Green Bay public schools to be drafted since the schools started playing the sport in 1991.

Former Green Bay Southwest pitcher Gunnar Eastman wasn’t selected but signed a pro contract with the Toronto Blue Jays in 2015.

Wagner was not immediately available for comment after his big night.

“I was just speechless when I saw his name come up on the screen,” said Andy Conard, who was Wagner’s coach at Preble. “To see him go with the 42nd pick was just awesome. I’m just so happy for him, happy for his family. It’s just so well-deserved.

“There has been a lot of work that has gone into getting to this point. To see how far he has come, even in the last year, is really special.”

That Wagner was drafted so high wasn’t a surprise, not after a breakout sophomore season at Clemson in which he was named the Atlantic Coast Conference player of the year and was a finalist for national player of the year.

He hit .369 with 27 home runs and 76 RBI, with an on-base percentage of .496 and a slugging percentage of .852. His home run total tied the Clemson single-season record and was tied for third-most in ACC history.

Wagner set a school record with a home run in every 7.5 at bats, and his slugging percentage was the second highest in program history.

Every player who has been named the ACC’s MVP since the turn of the century has been drafted. Wagner joined a list that includes former MLB stars such as Mark Teixeira, Ryan Braun and Buster Posey.

Wagner was a dominant force at Preble.

He was a three-time player of the year in the Fox River Classic Conference and likely would have won a fourth had his senior year in 2020 not been wiped away because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

But even before he arrived at high school, there already was something special about him.

“You saw the skills, you saw the work ethic, you just saw the intangibles that you don’t usually see with kids that young,” Conard said. “Once he got to high school, to be player of the year as a freshman in our conference, is pretty special. You just saw that the ceiling was pretty high for this kid and he was just scratching the surface.

“I think the exciting thing for him is that he still has an upward trajectory, which is unlimited. The intangibles he brings kind of separate him from most kids that you encounter.”

Wagner’s selection isn’t just big for him, but it also could be a big boost for area players. It’s another example of what is possible with talent and hard work.

“It's so exciting for the Green Bay public schools, for Preble High School and for the whole Green Bay area,” Conard said. “It kind of validates the quality of baseball we have here, but I don’t know if it garners the respect that it deserves. We have had some really good players come through this area in the last 10 to 20 years that I think this area is underrated.

“Seeing Max get drafted that high brings that to light a little bit. It doesn’t happen every day, but to see what he has meant to the Preble program, it just brings a lot of respect to the area.”

This article originally appeared on Green Bay Press-Gazette: Green Bay Preble's Max Wagner of Clemson drafted by Baltimore Orioles