How was he acquired?
Atlanta chose Bagwell out of Collinsville High School (Ga.) in the 6th round of the 2024 draft, using the 191st overall selection on the righty. As a result, Bagwell received a signing
bonus of $822,500, which was significantly over-slot for his draft position, in order to keep him from his commitment to the University of Missouri.
What were the 2025 expectations?
After making just one appearance in 2024, there was plenty of intrigue surrounding Bagwell coming into his first full professional season. In his lone appearance in 2024, Bagwell produced mixed results — giving up two runs in the first inning, but bouncing back to retire five of the next seven batters he faced. While it was just one appearance, it gave enough hope and promise to make Bagwell one of the “must-watch” prospects this year.
Coming into 2025, the main things everyone wanted to see from Bagwell were essentially to see how his command could hold up, how would he fare against a heavier workload and developing his secondary pitches.
2025 results
Unfortunately for Bagwell, he spent the majority of the season hurt, as he spent the better part of the first half of the year on the injured list. Bagwell managed to make a trio of starts in April, posting a 1.88 ERA across 14.1 innings pitched before going down with an injury. He made three rehab starts with the FCL squad before being activated on July 22, when he made his fourth start for Augusta.
Overall, between Augusta and the FCL, Bagwell put up encouraging numbers in 2025. In 13 appearances — 12 starts — Bagwell spun an ERA of 3.05 in 59 total innings. He also managed to strikeout 45 batters to 19 walks as well. The questions about the command were somewhat answered in his first full season, but there’s still plenty to learn about and see with Bagwell moving forward.
2026 outlook
As we enter 2026, the main focus for Bagwell is going to be to simply remain healthy and get through most, if not all, of the season while showing he can handle the workload of a professional schedule.
He is almost certainly going to be assigned back with Augusta to begin the season in order to make sure he’s fully ready to go and see if he can replicate last season’s success. If that’s the case, there is no reason he shouldn’t be in Rome before the halfway point of the season, which could set him up for a fast-track pace in 2027 and beyond. However, as we’ve reiterated, he will have to show he can keep his command intact as he progresses across the minors. If he can do that while sharpening his secondary pitches, he may be the next in line when it comes to Atlanta’s top pitching prospects.
