Oakland Athletics: Recapping Jacob Wilson's 2023 Season

With the 6th overall pick of the 2023 MLB Draft, the Athletics selected Jacob Wilson, son of former MLB player Jack Wilson. They have high hopes that Jacob Wilson can grow into their next great contact-hitter like Tony Gwynn.

Boston Red Sox v Oakland Athletics
Boston Red Sox v Oakland Athletics | Michael Zagaris/GettyImages

The Oakland Athletics drafted Jacob Wilson with the 6th overall pick of the 2023 MLB Draft. This came after his 2023 season at Grand Canyon, in which, in 49 games, he hit .412 with 6 Home Runs and 61 RBIs. His type of play is similar to players like Tony Gwynn, where he will rarely strikeout or walk and will have a high batting average as a dominant Contact-Hitter.

After getting drafted, he played in 3 games with the Rookie Ball Affiliate of the Athletics, in which he went 5 for 11 with 5 RBIs while hitting .455 with a .500 On-Base Percentage. He was then called up to A+, Lansing, in which he played 23 games and hit .318 with 1 Home Run and 8 RBIs, along with 6 walks and 10 strikeouts, with an On-Base Percentage of .378.

His 2023 Minor League Campaign showed much potential. While he hasn't excelled like another contact-hitter in the draft named Nolan Schanuel, the team is purposely holding him down until they are competitive and will slowly move him through the farm system.

Jacob Wilson shows much potential to be one of the best contact-hitters. He was one of the best pure-hitters in the draft and has one of the best Baseball IQs, which is common with 2nd generation baseball players after he learned from his father, former MLB player Jack Wilson, who played 12 years with the Pirates, Mariners, and Braves.

Wilson plays shortstop, which is odd because when most people think of shortstop, they first think of players like Corey Seager, Francisco Lindor, and Trea Turner, all of whom are power-hitters along with good contact hitters. He's not the most athletic shortstop but has the ability to stay there with his strong range and arm.

Schedule