Here's the Athletics' Spring Breakout roster
Martšªn Gallegos
@MartinJGallegosMESA, Ariz. -- Jacob Wilson has a lot to live up to as not only the sixth overall pick in last year¡¯s MLB Draft but also the son of a former All-Star and 12-year big leaguer in Jack Wilson.
So far, Wilson, ranked the A¡¯s No. 1 prospect and the No. 68 prospect in baseball by MLB Pipeline, has matched the hype with a 65-grade hit tool that has come as advertised early in his pro career. Aggressively sent to High-A Lansing shortly after getting drafted, Wilson impressed by hitting .318 with an .833 OPS and 10 extra-base hits while striking out just 10 times in 99 plate appearances.
Continuing to set high expectations as a future star for the A¡¯s, Wilson headlines a group of the club¡¯s top young talent taking part in the inaugural Spring Breakout, which will see Oakland¡¯s prospects square off against the Giants¡¯ prospects on March 15 at Hohokam Stadium in the second game of a doubleheader that will follow a traditional Cactus League game against San Francisco, which begins at 1:05 p.m. PT.
Gearing up for his full season as a professional, Wilson attended his first big league Spring Training as a non-roster invitee, and though his playing time in Cactus League games was limited before getting optioned to Minor League camp on Sunday, he left a strong impression on the A¡¯s coaching staff.
¡°Impressive first camp for Jacob, both offensively and defensively,¡± A¡¯s manager Mark Kotsay said. ¡°I¡¯ve been impressed with his maturity, but I really shouldn¡¯t have been impressed, because his dad, Jack, was a heck of a baseball player. I¡¯m sure Jacob learned a lot from Jack over the years just being around him.¡±
There is a good chance Wilson will be manning the same infield as Thousand Oaks High School (Calif.) teammate Max Muncy, Oakland¡¯s No. 8 prospect and its 2021 first-round Draft pick. Wilson and Muncy are two of the six players rated among the club¡¯s top 10 prospects by MLB Pipeline who are set to participate in the event.
¡°I think it¡¯s sick,¡± Muncy said of Spring Breakout. "During the year, some guys who are a little younger go to [Single-A] Stockton while other guys are ahead and go to [Triple-A] Las Vegas, so you kind of miss some of those guys. I think it¡¯s a cool chance to play with guys you haven¡¯t played with. Put your best team forward and see how you play together. It gives you maybe a look to the future of what [the A¡¯s] could be.¡±
What is Spring Breakout? MLB Spring Breakout is a four-day event showcasing baseball¡¯s future: the current stars of Minor League Baseball. The inaugural edition will be held from March 14-17 at Grapefruit and Cactus league stadiums during Spring Training. A series of 16 exhibition games will be played between teams comprised of each MLB organization¡¯s top prospects, creating a new touchpoint on the baseball calendar that celebrates our sport¡¯s budding talent.
Here's the Athletics' Spring Breakout roster with MLB Pipeline's rankings: