PA Native, LHP Luke Wagner Inks Contract With Wild Things
WASHINGTON, Pa. (Dec. 9) – Luke Wagner, a native of New Cumberland, Pennsylvania and graduate of Red Land High School, has signed his first professional contract and has been added to the Wild Things’ growing offseason roster heading into the 2025 season. Wagner played three seasons of college ball at Georgia before finishing up his collegiate career in 2024 with Purdue.
Wagner posted a 7-2 record in 15 starts (all his appearances) for the Boilermakers in 2024. He logged 73 innings of work and walked only 22 with 55 strikeouts, while he managed a 5.42 ERA in the Big Ten. That work came off a total of 54 appearances, including 17 starts, at Georgia, where he owned a 10-9 record in 111.2 innings with 98 strikeouts and 72 walks. He also appeared in 23 games as a position player with the Bulldogs.
His best season at Georgia was his freshman season, where he was 3-3 with a 4.58 ERA in 17 games (12 starts). In 39.1 innings, he allowed about a hit an inning and struck out 33.
Wagner was a two-way standout at Red Land High School, where he was 11-2 with a 1.44 ERA in 68 innings as a junior. That season he posted 117 strikeouts before the next year, his senior campaign, was cancelled by COVID-19. As a junior he also saw action in center field and batted a team-best .385 with two homers, 18 RBI and 18 stolen bases to help his team with the 5A state title over Lampeter-Stasburg, who had knocked off two WPIAL teams on its way to the state final.
Luke’s father Kyle and uncle Bret both played baseball at Wake Forest and played professionally as well. Kyle, a catcher, was a 12th round pick of the California Angels in 1995 while Bret, was a first-round pick by St. Louis in 1994. Luke was PennLive’s 2018 Player of the Year as a sophomore, and he also lettered twice in basketball for the Patriots.
Wagner is the third rookie pitcher and first left-handed pitcher to sign with the team this offseason. The team will announce its decisions on 2025 team options from 2024 contracts this week, at which point the team will also detail which players from last season will become free agents on December 15, the league’s day where players whose options are declined or did not have options, become free agents.
The Wild Things open their season on the road Friday, May 9, 2025, and the home opener is scheduled for Tuesday, May 13 at 7:05 p.m. Season tickets, group packages and premium areas are available now by calling 866-456-WILD or by going to washingtonwildthings.com. Fans can also follow the team’s social media pages and site for news, including on X, Facebook, Instagram, Threads, TikTok and YouTube. Search @WashWildThings, go to youtube.com/@WashWildThings or go to facebook.com/washingtonwildthings.
