Athletics infielder Jacob Wilson, a GCU product, looks out at the field before practicing bunts in the batting cage at Hohokam Stadium in Mesa. (Photo by Dan Allison/Cronkite News)
MESA – After getting a taste of the big leagues last season, Athletics shortstop Jacob Wilson is basking in the spring spotlight.
The former Grand Canyon University Antelope made his MLB debut last July with the Athletics, logging 28 games in the team’s final year playing in Oakland. Now, as the A’s prepare for the 2025 season, Wilson appears to be the club’s everyday shortstop – and expectations for the young infielder have exploded.
But with Cactus League action underway, Wilson remains grounded and focused on becoming the Opening Day starter.
“I think my mindset is kind of the same,” Wilson said. “Last year, I wanted to come out here and prove to the coaches and players that I can hang at this level. This spring training is obviously different – going in trying to make the team rather than last year where I was just getting a taste of spring training.”
Drafted sixth overall in 2023, Wilson is ranked 31st on MLB Pipeline’s Top 100 Prospects list, first among A’s prospects, and was given the fourth-best odds of winning the AL Rookie of the Year award by DraftKings.
The former All-American and Western Athletic Conference Defensive Player of the Year quickly ascended through the Athletics system in 2024, his second in the organization. He started the season at the Double-A level, posting a combined .433 average and 39 RBI in the minor leagues.
Athletics infielder Jacob Wilson Jacob Wilson, a GCU product, takes time to sign autographs for fans following his morning batting practice at Hohokam Stadium in Mesa. (Photo by Dan Allison/Cronkite News)
Despite a knee injury that cost him a month in Triple-A, he made his way to the big club and would have accrued more experience if not for a hamstring injury he suffered in his major league debut that kept him out for another month.
Even before last season, expectations were high for the 6-foot-2, 190-pounder.
Wilson won three conference championships and made two trips to the NCAA regionals before becoming the highest pick in Grand Canyon program history when the A’s took him as the sixth overall pick.
Originally from southern California, Wilson returns to his home state as a major leaguer, but he still has a soft spot for the desert, where he made his offseason home in Gilbert.
“I love this place,” Wilson said. “I moved here once I went to college. Loved it, decided to stay, and then obviously got fortunate enough to have spring training out here.”
Wilson is among many highly touted young names in the A’s system. The team fielded the sixth-youngest roster in the major leagues during 2024 with top names like Lawrence Butler and Tyler Soderstrom still under the age of 25. It is a competitive system that jumped from 25th to 11th entering the 2025 season, but manager Mark Kotsay just views all the prospects as more weapons in his arsenal.
“Depth is important for us,” Kotsay said. “Depth comes from our development, and I think we’re in a better position than we’ve been in over the last three years.”
While more depth means more competition for playing time, Wilson enjoys the youthful dynamic the locker room brings.
“Being with the young guys, it’s a lot easier for me knowing I can relate to them a bit more,” he said. “I played against some of them in college, even high school. So the bond in the clubhouse is the main thing for us.”
Athletics infielder Jacob Wilson, a GCU product, smiles as he chats with fans during batting practice at Hohokam Stadium in Mesa. (Photo by Dan Allison/Cronkite News)
Some of those bonds stretch even further back, such as fellow Athletics prospect and former Thousand Oaks High School teammate Max Muncy, who sits just two lockers down from Wilson in the Athletics’ HoHoKam Stadium clubhouse this spring – and is in competition to start alongside him in the Athletics’ infield at third base.
“It’s definitely cool to see how far he has come, because obviously not a lot of people were at the beginning of his journey like me,” Muncy said. “I think it’s super sick to see how much he’s grown and how much he will continue to grow.”
With a plethora of accolades next to his name already, Wilson is still just grateful for the opportunity.
“I’m excited to be out here with these guys.” Wilson said, “I feel very fortunate to be with this team right now, and I think we will have a good year.”
The Athletics will open the regular season on the road with a four-game series against the Seattle Mariners before playing their first-ever game in Sacramento on March 31 against the Chicago Cubs.
“We’re excited to go see what that environment is like,” Wilson said. “Really just enjoy the game of baseball. Getting to wear the jersey, that’s the main thing for us. We’re gonna enjoy it and try to win as many games as we can for the city.”