The Athletics’ Jacob Wilson Can Put the League on Notice in 2025

The young shortstop has the skills to be an impact player on both sides of the ball.

Jacob Wilson of the Oakland Athletics poses for a portrait during photo day at HoHoKam Stadium.
MESA, ARIZONA - FEBRUARY 23: Jacob Wilson #83 of the Oakland Athletics poses for a portrait during photo day at HoHoKam Stadium on February 23, 2024 in Mesa, Arizona. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)

The Athletics organization has stood out like a sore thumb recently.

Long gone are the days of their historic teams, such as their 1972-1974 three-peat squad filled with Hall of Famers. Now they have slowly become the laughingstock of the league, having just left millions of die-hard fans in Oakland. All because of a joke of an owner and a front office with no desire to build a competitive team.

Of course, just months after their final game at the Oakland Coliseum, the A’s seem to have a more promising future and have finally become a player on the free-agent market. This has to be one of the biggest punches in the mouth a sports organization has ever given its own fan base.

The big emerging name last year was outfield slugger Lawrence Butler, but hiding in his shadows, waiting for his first taste of a full MLB season, is rookie shortstop Jacob Wilson. With plenty of untapped potential, Wilson has the skillset to be an impactful player on both sides of the ball in 2025.

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Jacob Wilson: Fast-Tracking to the Majors

There is a reason Wilson was taken sixth overall in the 2023 draft and made his MLB debut just one year later. In his first 111 professional plate appearances, Wilson refuted any offensive questions about his bat skills not transitioning to the pro level by slashing .333/.391/.476.

He was rewarded with a call-up to Double-A in 2024, where in just 22 games he hit .455 with a 1.178 OPS and was quickly assigned to the Athletics Triple-A affiliate. Another 26 games later, the kid was still hitting like he had power-ups in Mario Super Sluggers, batting just below .400 with a 1.061 OPS.

It is a treat to watch this kid’s offensive approach, as he plays pepper with the whole field. His bat skills are so elite he has no time for walks or strikeouts. When he gets his pitch, he attacks and, more often than not, he connects. Through his Double-A and Triple-A stints, he combined for 15 strikeouts while only drawing 11 walks in 209 PA.

All due respect to Nick Allen and Zack Gelof, but when that was the A’s everyday duo up the middle, I see why they were extra motivated to fast-track Wilson to the majors. Even more so when it looked like he was playing on rookie mode at every minor league level. There was little doubt that his style of play could keep him at the major league level.

It didn’t take a genius in the front office to realize this kid belonged in the majors, and he officially earned his MLB debut 366 days after draft night.

His time at the major league level wasn’t anything out of a movie, but flashes of what the 22-year-old could do at the plate and in the field were enough to believe something great is on the horizon.

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All Contact, No Power

Rarely does a perfect prospect show up at any level, and Jacob Wilson, although talented, is no flawless prospect. One aspect of his game he has yet to tap into could limit his potential impact on the 2025 Athletics season.

His power grade sits at 30/35 according to our outstanding prospect analyst Aram Leighton. This lines up with his career eight homers in over 300 ABs in the minors.

Wilson counters his lack of power with an elite hit tool, which Leighton scored at 70/70. It seems these two elements of his game should cancel each other out, however in the game today, this style of play is dying before our eyes. The days of Tony Gwynn are over, while 40+ homer seasons are in.

Projected to hit around 10 to 14 homers in a full season, Wilson’s offensive strengths and weaknesses are parallel with another elite bat-to-ball hitter: Luis Arraez.

Despite having one of the best bat-to-ball skills in the league, Arraez still doesn’t seem to be highly valued by any organization. The Miami Marlins traded him for prospects early last season after acquiring him in 2023 as part of the Pablo López deal. Now his name has been the centerpiece in nearly every mock trade this offseason for San Diego Padres.

Leading the league in batting average is a fun story and can earn you respect around the league, that goes without saying. Although, it seems that for a team that can’t get past the wild card or divisional round in the playoffs and needs a minor shakeup, the first player to go will be a guy like Arraez – and potentially, eventually Wilson.

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The question remains: Can Wilson and the Athletics coaching staff discover the best way to utilize one of the better contact tools we’ve seen and squeeze a little more power (say, five or more homers) from him? I don’t know, but I do believe Wilson has the tools to put the rest of the league on notice.

Jacob Wilson: Breakout Candidate

Hitting Presence

The first major league at-bat may be the toughest one of any hitter’s career. It’s a dream that has been on repeat in his head since his first day of grade school. Perhaps the combination of nerves and uncontrollable excitement makes it seem almost impossible to even get the bat off his shoulder.

Yet, none of that would be relatable for the A’s number one prospect, who zipped his first MLB hit on the second pitch he saw.

I think I’ve established Jacob Wilson’s basic skillset with the bat, so I want to dig a little deeper.

What makes a great hitter into an elite hitter, to me, is mentality. Anyone can develop skills, build muscle and improve talent through training, but the mental side of the game is what separates great from elite.

Let me ask you this: What’s more terrifying for a pitcher than a hitter who thrives at making contact? A confident, comfortable hitter at the plate, who can make contact. Doesn’t matter the count, situation, or pressure they’re faced with. Pick any elite hitter at the dish and watch their ABs, they are cool, calm and collected in the box.

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Although everything he has done so far has come in a small sample size, what makes Wilson a great breakout candidate for 2025 is his ability to adjust when facing the next level.

He has succeeded and improved at each level he’s competed, dating back to his freshman year at Grand Canyon University. He slugged .440 his freshman year, then .585, and finished with a .635 slug his junior season.

These key hitting characteristics will prevent his weaknesses from limiting his success. The attributes he has improved at each level, whether it be AVG, OBP, SLG or even his remarkably low K%, are what give him the potential to become a breakout candidate this season.

Flashing the Leather

A common scouting concern with Wilson was his lack of the supreme athleticism we tend to see in everyday shortstops at the major league level. This statement will soon be debunked after the world gets a closer look at what Wilson can do at shortstop:

He may not fly like a 2021 Fernando Tatis Jr. or make plays that have you questioning physics like a 2016 Javier Báez. But let’s remember his elite hand-eye coordination at the plate, because it translates to his glove beautifully.

At 6-foot-2, 190 pounds, he attacks every ball hit in his vicinity like he can make the play. His quick hands, which have the potential to be just as good as anyone’s, may have been passed down from his father, Jack Wilson, a former All-Star shortstop who played for 12 seasons.

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Not to mention, the cannon on his right arm truly makes up for some of the ground he may not cover at times. I firmly believe Wilson could be in Gold Glove conversations in the future.

Wrap Up

Ever since he stepped foot on a professional baseball field, Jacob Wilson has proven he is a professional baseball player.

Surging through the minors and accomplishing his dream come true just a year after being drafted is a feat few achieve. Given what the 22-year-old is capable of with his glove, arm, and bat, it shouldn’t take long for him to introduce himself to Major League Baseball.

It could take a few more months for him to start making noise. Still, Wilson has the talent to succeed at the big league level, and he has done nothing but stack the evidence since his name was called sixth overall in the 2023 MLB draft.