THE WORLD'S LARGEST AND MOST COMPREHENSIVE SCOUTING ORGANIZATION
| 2,473 MLB PLAYERS | 15,806 MLB DRAFT SELECTIONS
2,473 MLB PLAYERS | 15,806 MLB DRAFT SELECTIONS
General  | Blog | 1/14/2025

Billy Wagner Loves the Coaching Life

Photo: Billy Wagner (OurEsquina.com)
OXON HILL, Md. – This could end up being one of the most exciting years of Billy Wagner’s life and it all began with a trip to the American Baseball Coaches Association’s annual convention and an appearance on PerfectGame.TV.

“Baseball coaches galore,” Wagner told hosts Daron Sutton and Dani Wexelman on the set of PGTV. “There’s no place I’d rather be. It’s awesome.”



Wagner was one of many from the baseball world to visit with Sutton and Wexelman during the ABCA convention January 2-4. The list of visitors included coaches from the youth level to the college level and beyond. Former American League Most Valuable Player Mo Vaughn stopped by the set, as did Clint Hurdle, the former big-leaguer and National League Manager of the Year. Both are active in youth baseball and with Perfect Game.

Billy Wagner is not one to boast so we’ll do it for him. He pitched 15 seasons in the major leagues, made seven All-Star teams, placed in the top 6 in Cy Young voting twice, amassed 422 saves (eighth-most all-time) and stands on the threshold of election to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, N.Y. (Results will be announced Jan. 21.)

But Wagner wasn’t necessarily at the ABCA Convention as the former star closer of the Houston Astros, Philadelphia Phillies, New York Mets, Boston Red Sox and Atlanta Braves.

He was there as head coach of the baseball team at the Miller School of Albemarle, located in Charlottesville, Virginia.

Wagner has been coaching at the Miller School for 13 years. He loves his second life in baseball.

“My journey through high school, college and pro ball gave me so many experiences that I can draw on to guide the kids,” Wagner said. “I think this is really what I was built for – to coach. I love it.”
 
Wagner is as dedicated to coaching as he was to pitching during his playing days.

“Creating relationships at a place like this is important,” he said. “It’s a great event. There’s a lot to learn here. I love talking to all the coaches that are here. I pick their brains. I learn from them. I want to know what makes them successful so I can bring it back to our kids and help them be successful. I want to be the best coach I can be for our kids.”

The Miller School has been quite successful under Wagner, winning multiple state championships in the Virginia Independent School Athletic Association (VISAA). Wagner has received several Coach of the Year honors.

“The kids make me look good,” he said with a laugh. “I like to challenge our kids. I tell them my expectation is that you’re going to compete. Your expectation should be that you’re going to win.”

Wagner has sent a number of players on to college ball. In 2024, two of his former players made their major-league debuts. Wagner’s son, Will, an infielder, enjoyed a three-hit night in his big-league debut with the Toronto Blue Jays on August 2. Will played in 24 games with the Jays and hit .305. Meanwhile, Connor Gillispie pitched in three games with the Cleveland Guardians. Wagner also coached his son Jeremy at the Miller School. A third son, Kason, is a pitcher on the 2025 club.

All three of Wagner’s sons played in Perfect Game events.

“It’s really valuable because it gives you exposure playing high-quality teams,” he said. “It’s an opportunity for these kids to be seen and documented and people can follow them a lot easier. It’s been a big help to a lot of kids because colleges don’t always recruit the same way. And, so, you can literally send your stats from PG to the colleges and they can recruit you that way.”

Wagner’s appearance on the PGTV set during the ABCA convention won’t be his last in 2025. In March, his Miller School team will travel to Florida for a four-game trip that includes matchups against Tampa Jesuit High School, Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, North Broward Prep and West Broward High School. The March 12 game against Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School will be broadcast/streamed live on PGTV. The next day, PGTV will broadcast/stream a game between Bishop Snyder High School of Jacksonville, Florida, and Marjory Stoneman Douglas.

It’s going to be a big spring for high school ball on PGTV, with more than 20 games scheduled to be broadcast/streamed. PGTV will be at the Bishop Gorman Invitational in Las Vegas from March 17-20. Wagner’s Miller School club will make another appearance on PGTV when it travels to Vienna, Virginia to play James Madison High later in March.

Wagner’s players were ecstatic when they learned their March 12 game against Marjory Stoneman Douglas would be broadcast/streamed on PGTV. The Miller School’s lineup features first baseman and team captain Naomi Ryan, a member of USA Baseball’s Women’s National team. Kason Wagner and Dillon O’Connor, son of University of Virginia head coach Brian O’Connor, are the team’s top starting pitchers.

“The kids know they have to be ready because they’re going to be on PGTV,” Wagner said. “It’s such a motivator. It’s really spiced up our workouts.

“We can’t wait. We’re going to have fun with it.”

General | Blog | 4/10/2026

Wolforth Throwing Mentorship: Article 64

Ron Wolforth
Article Image
What Do Barry Zito, Justin Verlander, Trevor Bauer, and Dallas Keuchel All Have in Common? By Ron Wolforth | Texas Baseball Ranch® | PG Arm Care Take a second and think about the question posed in the title before you read on. Four Cy Young Award winners. Four of the most decorated pitchers of their generation. What's the common thread? The first answer is obvious… they all won the most prestigious individual award in pitching. Most of you probably got there immediately. The second answer is less obvious… they all trained at the Texas Baseball Ranch® at some point in their development. Interesting, maybe, but not the point of this article. The third answer is the one I really want you to sit with, because it has direct relevance to your career right now: they all move completely differently. And they all attack hitters completely differently. Don't rush past that....
Tournaments | Championship | 6/15/2026

WC Ghost Claims Arizona All-State Title

Emily Hicks
Article Image
In a championship game that featured strong pitching and sharp defense from both sides, West Coast Ghost AZ 16U pulled away late to defeat Overfly 2028, 5-3, and claim the Arizona All-State Games title. “We had discipline at the plate, on the mound, out in the field; everyone just did their thing. It was good,” said Cash Carmichael The two teams traded runs throughout the 1st and 2nd innings, making it 3-2. Followed by a single run scored at the top of the 4th by Overfly 2028, it remained tied 3-3 for most of the game. Both defenses made key plays to limit scoring opportunities, turning potential rallies into outs and keeping the pressure high in every inning. With the game deadlocked heading into the bottom of the sixth, West Coast Ghost AZ finally broke through. Bottom of the 6th, J. Haizen Reidhead recorded a single, Oren Tucker walked, and Josiah Shim was hit by pitch....
Tournaments | Story | 6/15/2026

Coastal Region Scout Notes

Perfect Game Staff
Article Image
Wyatt Smitherman (2028, Durham NC) had a solid day at the plate for USA Prime Triangle 16u Stars in their matchup against the Charlotte Colts. The 5-foot-11, 160-pound shortstop has a tall athletic frame. The left handed batter displayed a mature approach at the plate. Attacks fastballs and drives them with authority. He has quick hands and gets the barrel through the zone. Uses his lower half to his advantage creating enough torque to generate his power he shown. Smitherman finished the day going 1-for-3 with a home run and 4 RBI. Zachary Days (2028, Charlotte NC) had a impressive day at the plate for the Charlotte Colts against USA Prime Coastal. The 6-foot-3, 170 pound center fielder has a tall athletic frame. Days bats from the left side with a short but powerful swing. Very disciplined during his AB’s and applies pressure on the defense. He shifts his weight to his lower half...
Tournaments | Championship | 6/15/2026

Weather Can't Delay Top Tier Victory

Alyssa Golden
Article Image
A seven-run first inning gave Top Tier Roos American Red 2027 all the momentum they needed Sunday morning, but the road to a Florida World Series championship was far from straightforward.  After jumping out to an early lead against WBC 17u, Top Tier endured a 3 ½-hour rain delay before returning to finish off a 9-1 victory at Lee Health Sports Complex.  The championship game, which began at 8 a.m. and did not conclude until nearly 1 p.m., ended in the bottom of the fifth inning under Perfect Game’s mercy-rule format. Top Tier’s dominant performance was powered by a complete-game effort from Christian Davis and an offense that erupted for seven runs in the first inning.  Not even hours of uncertainty and lightning delays could keep Top Tier from finishing what they started.  Davis started on the mound for Top Tier and remained the entire five...
Softball | Softball Tournament | 6/14/2026

PG Softball Super Regionals

Erica Beach
Article Image
PG Super Regionals Dripping Springs, Texas June 6-7, 2026     DRIPPING SPRINGS, TX- The weather was nice, the Longhorns JUST won a national championship, and Perfect Game brought it’s first softball event to Dripping Springs. It was a weekend packed with college coaches, quality softball, and a great softball atmosphere. Over the course of the six-game guarantee event, our scout saw some amazing athletes. Below she highlights some of the athletes who caught her eye.   Destiny Sidiropoulos (2028, Houston, TX) of the Impact Gold HTX 16U was an incredible spark plug at the top of their lineup all weekend. She is a true triple threat who has great speed on the basepaths. She can soft and power slap, drop a sneaky bunt, and hit away with pop. Her barrel control is next level, and she is fun to watch pick apart defenses. On defense, she is versatile and athletic. She gets...
Tournaments | Story | 6/13/2026

West Coast Summer Breakout Hopefuls

Joey Cohen
Article Image
With summer ball ramping up, the priority follow lists from our scouting staff start to take shape and every year a handful of intriguing names outside the national spotlight begin to separate. Digging deeper into the West region, there’s a group of prospects currently buried outside the Top 200 who carry real breakout and helium potential over the next few months. All 10 players featured here are coming off strong high school seasons and bring traits that evaluators tend to bet on whether it’s projectable/athletic bodies, strong secondary stuff, or flashes of impact tools. They may not be household names just yet, but the ingredients are there for significant jumps by the end of the summer circuit. Don’t be surprised if several of these names are firmly in the mix and climbing up early boards in a hurry before the fall rolls around. Two innings of work here from Jonah...
Tournaments | Story | 6/14/2026

UBC West Scout Notes: Days 1-2

Steve Fiorindo
Article Image
Nash McCarthy (2030, Camas, WA) was outstanding in his start on day two of the UBC West for NW Baum Bat, working six-innings allowing four-hits, no walks and struck out seven.  Standing at 6-foot, 170-pounds with athleticism and room to add.  Effortless mover down the bump with a low effort, up-tempo operation that produced a fastball that was up to 84.  He showed feel for the secondary offerings mixing in a firm breaking ball at 71-74 with 11-5 shape with depth.  Controlled the zone and the tempo throughout the outing, moving the ball around to all four-quadrants.  Projectable arm speed with advanced feel for the spin and strike zone.  Dylan D'Oyen (2030, Cerritos, CA) got the start for 5 Star 2030 in their opening game of the tournament and impressed over six innings of work.  Athletic mover down the mound with balance and repeats the delivery. ...
Tournaments | Story | 6/13/2026

UBC South Scout Notes: Days 1-2

Perfect Game Staff
Article Image
Quintin Blackwell (2030, Hercules, California) has, literally, been unstoppable this weekend for Premier Banditos Deleon. In six plate appearances, he has a walk and five hits. Doing it all with a double and two triples, while stealing three bags. Plenty of coil on the front side. Hands work through zone and the barrel stays on plane for a long time. High upside bat that makes an already deep Banditos lineup even deeper. Kenson Buth (2027, Trophy Club, Texas) has been an absolute weapon on both ends for Stix 2027 Scout. At the plate, he’s 6-9 with two doubles, a triple, and a home run. Linear approach with a ton of bat speed. Plenty of impact at the bottom of the zone and showing some ability to do serious damage in the middle of the field. On the mound, he went four quality innings, punching out three. The fastball lived 86-90 with carry. Good feel for the slider in the mid 70s....
Tournaments | Story | 6/13/2026

WWBA East Scout Notes: Days 1-2

Perfect Game Staff
Article Image
Sawyer Pettit (‘27 MS) Has shown extremely well to start the summer of 2026. Its a physical left-handed hitting corner profile with big muscle mass. Will pass the eye test off the bus at the next level. The swing is clean with controlled violence and big in-air power that has shown up frequently. Good mover for the size and plays the game hard. Candidate for a big frosh season at LSU-Eunice in 2028. Keviyun McQueen (‘27 MS) Pair of barrels tied together here. Innate feel to hit with fast hands. Line drive approach that gets to pull side power in the air. Excellent athlete that will stick at a premium spot. #LaTech commit.#WWBAEast pic.twitter.com/xeintVTMil — PG Deep South (@PG_DeepSouth) June 12, 2026 Keviyun McQueen (‘27 MS) The Louisiana Tech commit just does not stop hitting. Left the yard to the pull side yesterday and followed it up with a 3-4 day with a...
Tournaments | Story | 6/12/2026

AZ All-State Ready to Take Place

Emily Hicks
Article Image
This weekend, eight teams will head to Goodyear Ballpark for the 2026 PG Arizona All-State tournament, setting the stage for what should be an exciting few days of baseball. With teams traveling from across the city, the field will be packed with talent and plenty of championship contenders. Among the teams competing in 16U are AZ Select, Marucci Athletics 2028 Grannis, Overfly 2028, Phoenix Phillies, Team Dinger 2028, T-Rex East Valley, USA Scout Team AZ 16U, and West Coast Ghost AZ 16U. Each team enters the weekend with its own strengths and goals, creating several intriguing storylines to follow throughout pool play and bracket action. One of the biggest teams to watch this weekend will be 10-10, T-Rex East Valley. Whether it's dominant pitching, high-powered offenses, or strong defensive play, T-Rex East Valley has already shown they can compete at a high level this season. A few...
Tournaments | Story | 6/12/2026

13/14u PG Elite Scout Notes: Days 3-5

Perfect Game Staff
Article Image
13u & 14u PG Elite Scout Notes: Days 1-2 Tucker Richardson (2030, Mobile, Ala.) has already made a name for himself and he continued to play at the expected high level during his time in Hoover, finishing the tournament with a robust .700 average, collecting at least one base hit in each of his team’s games. Now the No. 10 ranked prospect in the country, Richardson more than once showed the ability to read and react to spin out of the pitcher’s hand, barreling up baseballs for a couple of his hits on the tournament. As much as the bat stands out, the defensive actions in the dirt are even better as he’s arguably the best defender in the class, making the most difficult plays look routing, including one where he charged hard on a slow roller with momentum taking him towards the third base dugout but thanks to the big arm, he was able to make the play look second...
Loading more articles...