SAN FRANCISCO – Shortstop Jacob Wilson played just 13 games at the Oakland Coliseum last season, then the Athletics moved out, denying the Bay Area a true chance to watch one of baseball’s most exciting prospects.
At least now the Giants are hosting him – and the Athletics — this weekend for his Oracle Park debut.
“I definitely like the outfield stuff — the Coke bottle and stuff it’s known for,” Wilson said before Friday’s opener. “I’ve heard it gets cold at night, so you have to mentally prepare for that. Otherwise, it’s a beautiful ballpark and you just go out there and play.”
The Giants’ ballpark is not entirely new to him. He visited with the A’s last July 31, solely as an observer to that loss because of a hamstring injury from his major-league debut on July 19.
He also came to the Giants’ home for a few games when his dad, Jack, was a Pittsburgh Pirates shortstop (2001-12). Speaking of, a funny thing happened on the way into San Francisco for this series: “I called him last night, and he was like: ‘I just want to let you know, I got one (home run) there.’ Because he didn’t get one at Dodger Stadium.”
Indeed, among the 61 home runs in Jack Wilson’s 12-year big-league career, he belted a two-out, two-run shot to left field against the Giants’ Jerome Williams on Aug. 7, 2003. Jacob Wilson was 17 months old.
Now 23, the younger Wilson hit two home runs Tuesday night at Dodger Stadium in his Southern California homecoming, having grown up in Thousand Oaks like his father. With two other hits in that series-opening win, he became the first visiting rookie to tally four hits and two home runs in a game there.
Hey, Giants fans surely will root for anyone who contributes to the “Beat L.A.” cause.
“It was super special for me, especially being able to have family there and being able to go back home,” said Wilson, the sixth overall pick in the 2023 draft.
He entered this series with the majors’ third-best batting average (.347) and second-most hits (58). He also had the second-lowest strikeout rate (5.1%) before fanning at Logan Webb’s 87-mph sweeper to open Friday’s ballgame.
Wilson grounded out to second base his next two at-bats, stranding runners at the corners in the top of the fifth. He entered Friday with a majors-best .486 average with runners in scoring position.
“His start to his season has been great,” A’s manager Mark Kotsay said. “Anytime a young player can get out and have a great April and continue to build on that, it helps his confidence, not that he’s not a confident kid. We’re watching him continue to get better daily and continue to work in a facet that’s very exemplary. “
General manager David Forst was just as complimentary: “We said when we drafted him we thought he had a unique skillset. You see his strikeout numbers in college and hope it works as he climbs up the ladder. … Jacob is a guy who knows how to get the bat to the ball. I’m thrilled for his early success.”
Wilson kept the A’s from falling further behind Friday night when, down 7-0, he made a diving stop on a Willy Adames infield single in the sixth inning.
Wilson began his career with a 42-game errorless streak, though four errors ensued between April 13-23. He also began it with a hamstring strain en route to his first time crossing the plate for a run, having reached earlier on a single for his first major-league hit in that July 19 win over the Angels.
“We’ve put emphasis on, in order to be a complete big leaguer, you have to take care of your body as much off the field as you do on the field, and he’s really adapted to that,” Kotsay added.
As for how he’s adapting so well to the majors, well, he hit. 401 over just 79 games in the minors.
“You try to go up there and look for a mistake,” Wilson said. “Everybody is human so they are going to leave a mistake here and there. It’s your job as a hitter to capitalize on it and go up and have competitive at-bats, fight off pitches that are good, and wait for mistakes.”
Added Forst: “I don’t have a great explanation for it other than he’s done this everywhere he’s been in his baseball career, and it continues to work.”
He’ll work two more games at Oracle Park (6:05 p.m. Saturday, 1:05 p.m. Sunday) before the Athletics take their road show elsewhere, including to their temporary digs in West Sacramento, where they relocated until a Las Vegas stadium supposedly opens in three years.
“Hopefully we get a lot of the old fans that come back and drive over the bridge to come see us play,” Wilson said. “I’ll just come out and enjoy it.”
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Jack Wilson played 21 games at the Giants’ ballpark, batting .215 (17-for-79) with one home run and six RBI.
Dad’s tips for this series?
“He said to keep the ball on the ground, hit low line drives,” the younger Wilson said. “With the wind here, it picks up pretty good, so guys that don’t hit the ball very far, keep it on the ground.”
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