A's top prospect Wilson 'feeling a lot stronger' after offseason work

MESA, Ariz. -- Carrying the best hit tool of any player on MLB Pipeline’s Top 100 Prospects list, Jacob Wilson’s biggest obstacle standing in the way of reaching his immense potential might just be proving he can stay healthy.

Wilson fast-tracked his way through the system last season to reach the Majors just 376 days after the Athletics selected him sixth overall in the 2023 MLB Draft. As rapid of a rise as it was, that arrival likely could have come even quicker had he not sustained a right knee injury with Triple-A Las Vegas in mid-May that sidelined him for a month. Once he debuted on July 19, it was only a few innings before Wilson strained his left hamstring while rounding third base just minutes after notching his first big league hit, leading to nearly another month on the injured list.

With some concerns about Wilson’s body holding up over the rigors of a full 162-game Major League season, the A’s sent the 22-year-old shortstop into the offseason with a message to emphasize strength and flexibility training to decrease the likelihood of the lower-half injuries that have crept up early in his professional career.

Wilson understood the assignment. The A’s No. 1 prospect/No. 31 prospect in baseball (per MLB Pipeline) reported to Spring Training looking noticeably thicker after adding about 15 pounds to his 6-foot-2 frame.

“He definitely looks a little more physical,” manager Mark Kotsay said of Wilson. “A lot of times, you talk to young players going into their first offseason and you never know if they’re going to buy in or understand the benefits of what you’re trying to tell them. But he took that to heart.”

The bulking process was calculated. Wilson made the short drive from his offseason home in Gilbert to the A’s Spring Training complex in Mesa three times per week to train under the supervision of strength and conditioning coach Josh Cuffe. He followed a specific regimen of workouts designed to gain muscle mass and improve his fast-twitch movements both offensively and defensively.

Wilson also implemented a new diet as a means to gain weight. He tried to keep it mostly healthy, increasing his consumption of rice and other carbs to accompany his steady dose of chicken and steak. Of course, he also had the occasional cheat meal, usually Raising Cane’s chicken tenders or a Chick-fil-A sandwich.

“Sometimes it’s hard,” Wilson said with a grin. “You get a couple of cheat days in there.”

Walking around at close to 200 pounds, Wilson said he is already feeling the difference of his offseason program through the early part of camp.

“I’m feeling a lot stronger,” Wilson said. “Especially now starting baseball activities and starting to hit BP, I’m really starting to feel the difference from last year to this year. Everything is feeling good right now. I just have to keep continuing the program and get stronger.”

The A’s have been impressed by what they have seen from Wilson when healthy. Over his 28-game big league showing last season, Wilson demonstrated the elite bat-to-ball skills that made him such a touted amateur, hitting .250 while striking out just 10 times in 103 plate appearances. Those traits make him an ideal table-setter, complementing the sluggers in the Athletics' lineup like Brent Rooker, Lawrence Butler and Shea Langeliers.

“You’re excited about how young he is and the future you can project for him,” Kotsay said. “We all know the type of player he is. He’s got amazing bat-to-ball skills. He’s fundamentally sound. He’s got the baseball IQ that comes from his family. I can see him on this progression where he can add to the tool set he has and increase his slug and on-base percentage. We saw him do that when he came back at the end of the year in September. He got a little more disciplined in-zone.”

Consistently producing stellar contact rates with his knack for squaring up baseballs, Wilson has received comparisons from several prospect ranking outlets to Luis Arráez, a three-time batting champion and arguably the best pure hitter in the game.

That is quite the lofty comparison, but one Wilson embraces as he aims to fulfill his sky-high ceiling entering his first full season in the Majors.

“It’s definitely a compliment,” Wilson said of the Arráez comps. “That guy puts the bat on the ball pretty much every single at-bat. … That’s awesome to hear. But we’re still our own players. I’ve got to put together my own at-bats and show everybody I can be at that same level of contact ability.”