WEST SACRAMENTO -- The fireworks soaring beyond the right-field wall over the view of the Tower Bridge and downtown Sacramento skyline were followed by a flashing light show as Jacob Wilson made his way around the bases and crossed home plate.
The extravagant presentation marked the first home run hit by the Athletics in what was their inaugural game at their new temporary home of Sutter Health Park. It also doubled as the first Major League home run for Wilson, the A¡¯s No. 1 prospect and No. 30 on MLB Pipeline¡¯s Top 100 list.
¡°It was super cool,¡± Wilson said. ¡°Being able to get the first one out of the way is a huge milestone for me. I had a bunch of family in town today, so it was pretty sweet that they got to see it and I get to go hang out with them after the game.¡±
The Wilson contingent amongst the announced sold-out crowd of 12,192 fans included his mother, Julie, two sisters, Jaidyn and Jersi, and father, Jack, a former All-Star shortstop and 12-year Major League veteran.
Wilson¡¯s 341-foot solo blast that just cleared the wall in left provided one of the few jolts on the night for a crowd that eagerly awaited its first-ever Major League Baseball game in town. The result was one the A¡¯s will quickly try to forget, as they dropped their opener against the Cubs, 18-3, but the overall night is one Wilson will never forget.
Wilson dominated every level of Minor League pitching to reach the Majors last season just 376 days after getting drafted sixth overall by the A¡¯s in 2023. After injury concerns led the A¡¯s to encourage him to work on getting stronger this offseason, Wilson took that message to heart and showed up to Spring Training having bulked up by about 15 pounds after working out three times a week at the club¡¯s facility in Arizona.
The added strength was evident throughout spring. Wilson, whose average exit velocity was 85.4 mph in 2024, was hitting the ball with much more force. Monday¡¯s homer, while a wall-scraper, was struck well at 100.2 mph off the bat.
While the A¡¯s are excited about some potential extra pop for Wilson, they do not expect him to suddenly morph into a slugger. He is a pure contact hitter who ideally can set the table for the rest of the power hitters with insane bat-to-ball skills, and that has shone through in these first five games of 2025 as he is on a five-game hitting streak and has yet to strike out in 17 plate appearances.
¡°I¡¯m just trying to stay calm,¡± Wilson said. ¡°Last year was kind of a testing phase being a big leaguer for the first time. ¡ I worked hard this offseason and this spring with the hitting coaches. I¡¯m talking to them every day to see what tips they have for me and taking them into the game.¡±
Though Wilson and the A¡¯s would have preferred to make a better first impression on the field, he was pleased with the reception from fans in their new home city on day one. Pregame was festive, with tributes to Rickey Henderson and a yellow carpet laid out from the center-field wall for player introductions. The crowd was also raucous, with the loudest moments coming on Wilson¡¯s third-inning homer and an RBI double by Max Muncy in the fourth that cut the A¡¯s deficit to three runs at the time.
¡°It was a great atmosphere,¡± Wilson said. ¡°Running through that tunnel and being announced as a player was super cool. It was pretty awesome to run out there and see how many people showed up and supported us.¡±
The only thing missing from this night for Wilson is the actual home run ball. A security guard who initially retrieved the ball just beyond the left-field fence was unaware that it was Wilson¡¯s first big league homer and accidentally flipped it to a fan in the stands.
If the home run ball holder can get back to Sutter Health Park, Wilson said he is open to negotiating for it.
¡°Hopefully, a fan sees this and they bring it back,¡± Wilson said. ¡°I¡¯ll trade them a bat or something for the ball. It would be pretty cool to get that one back.¡±