Giants select Mars’ Will Bednar 14th overall in 1st round – TribLIVE

Will Bednar will give his older brother, David, this much:

When asked which of the two former Mars pitchers will be the first to reach 100 mph on the radar gun, Will said, Probably him. Hes been closer.

Indeed, David has thrown a 99.6 mph fastball this season as a relief pitcher for the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Will said hes topped out at 98 after two seasons and a College World Series championship at Mississippi State.

Then, he added with a smile, Ill beat him to 101.

If thats so, Will Bednar likely will do it for the San Francisco Giants, the team that selected him with the 14th overall choice Sunday night in the MLB Draft. Bednar, the seventh pitcher selected, was drafted four hours after David was the winning pitcher in the Pirates 6-5 victory against the New York Mets at Citi Field.

David arrived at the familys Valencia home five minutes before his younger brother was drafted. He was paying attention in his truck, driving home (from the airport), Will said.

Will said the family caught the end of the Pirates game on TV when David pitched a scoreless eighth inning before the game-winning rally in the ninth.

Impressed? Yeah, but Will still likes to jab his older brother.

His win was kind of in the shadow of getting drafted, said Will, with a smile because David was in the car with him at the time.

Andy Bednar, their dad who coached both of his sons at Mars, was a bit more excited about the meshing of both big events.

Unbelievable he said. It all started when (David) was dealt (to the Pirates). Its been one thing after another.

Will said the familys Sunday started like it does for most. We went to church at 10, he said. We definitely needed that.

With a large group of famliy and friends expected Sunday night to help celebrate, their next stop was the grocery store. Then, home, where Will had to set up the camera for his expected interview with the MLB Network.

Bednars selection gives the WPIAL a first-round selection in five of the past seven years. West Alleghenys Austin Hendrick went to the Cincinnati Reds in 2020 as the 12th overall choice.

But two years ago, Bednars baseball career took a wrong turn when he missed his entire senior season at Mars with tendonitis. Still, he received five scholarship offers, first making a verbal commitment to Ohio State before flipping to Mississippi State.

Two different ends of the spectrum, he said. Going from being really upset that you missed your senior year and the next thing you know, you win the College World Series.

Bednars stock rose when he threw six no-hit innings in the deciding game of the CWS and was named its most outstanding player. Three years before that, he was a Trib 10 All-Star selection after leading Mars to the WPIAL Class 5A championship game, where his fastball was clocked at 95 mph.

His velocity shouldnt be a surprise. He was hitting 91 mph before his sophomore season at Mars.

Bednar, 21, compiled a 9-1 record and 3.12 ERA for Mississippi State this season, striking out 139 batters and allowing only 72 hits in 9213 innings. Hitters managed only a .214 batting average against him.

A 2019 Mars graduate, Bednar never redshirted at Mississippi State while developing his two best pitches an elevated four-seam fastball and a slider.

He appeared in four games in the pandemic-shortened 2020 season, but he made them count. In 1513 innings, he struck out 23, with a 1.76 ERA. Opponents hit him at a mere .161 rate.

Before the draft, several teams called, mostly making small talk, but also asking some pertinent questions, trying to gauge Bednars character.

They ask if I know what it takes to play at the next level and what I think I need to continue to work on, he said.

He had a ready answer.

To be able to keep a level head, I think, is the biggest part through the ups and down of a long professional season, he said.

Playing for his dad provided the type of hurdles that can make a player better.

A lot of people thought because he was my dad, hed be easy on me. But its the exact opposite, Will said. He was a lot harder on me than anyone else. It was good. He definitely pushed me.

He pushed so hard, Andys youngest son soon will become the second member of the family to cash an MLB paycheck.

Next up for the Bednars, perhaps, is a trip to San Francisco for the Pirates three-game series July 23-25. It will be the Giants first home games since drafting Will. Then, Andy might have a hard time choosing sides.

Jerry DiPaola is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Jerry by email at jdipaola@triblive.com or via Twitter .

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Giants select Mars' Will Bednar 14th overall in 1st round - TribLIVE