Jacob

Wilson

Wilson did his damage off of Royals’ closer Carlos Estevez in the fourth inning, clobbering a 429-foot (105.8 mph EV) two-run shot that evened the score at five runs apiece. That would be his lone hit in three at-bats on the afternoon. The 23-year-old shortstop is a lock to hit for a strong batting average but if he continues to flash this type of power potential he could wind up being an impact contributor for fantasy purposes.

The deal includes an eighth-year club option. Wilson finished second in AL Rookie of the Year voting behind his teammate Nick Kurtz, after hitting .311/.355/.444 with 13 home runs and five steals in 125 games this season. The 23-year-old is an elite contact hitter who has always sported high batting averages in the minors and flashed decent enough power last season. He has graded out as a below-average defender at shortstop in each of the last two seasons and may eventually need to move to second base, but this contract is fair value for a player with his hit tool. The A’s now have Wilson, Brent Rooker, Tyler Soderstrom, and Lawrence Butler under long-term contracts, with Nick Kurtz still on his rookie deal. That’s a solid offensive foundation.

Kurtz received all 30 first-place votes to become the 28th unanimous Rookie of the Year winner. His teammate Jacob Wilson finished second, while Roman Anthony placed third, with Noah Cameron and Colson Montgomery also receiving second-place votes in AL ROY balloting. The 22-year-old burgeoning superstar delivered one of the most impressive rookie campaigns in recent memory, slashing .290/.383/.618 with 64 extra-base hits — including 36 homers — and 86 RBI over 117 games. He seems destined to be one of the more polarizing fantasy sluggers next spring, but there’s a strong case for including him in the first-round conversation.

Kurtz is the slam-dunk favorite after delivering one of the most transcendent rookie seasons in recent memory, slashing .290/.383/.618 with 64 extra-base hits — including 36 homers — and 86 RBI in just 117 games. Anthony might have made things interesting had the Red Sox called him up before early June. The 21-year-old phenom immediately became their top-of-the-order catalyst, slashing .292/.396/.463 with eight homers and 32 RBI in 71 games before an oblique injury ended his season in early September. Wilson looked like the early-season frontrunner before a fractured left forearm in late July cost him nearly a month and derailed his second half. The fact that two Athletics cracked the final three in balloting says plenty about the direction of the franchise. The winner will be announced on Monday, November 10.

There’s a possibility Wilson comes off the bench during Sunday’s contest, but he’s going to finish a remarkable rookie campaign where he vastly out-performed preseason expectations, entering the final day of the regular season batting .311/.355/.444 with 62 runs scored, 13 home runs, 63 RBI and five steals over 125 games. The 23-year-old shortstop projects as a strong batting average source for years to come given his bat-to-ball skills and he could add some additional over-the-fence pop as he gets stronger in the years to come.

Wilson came up big with a bases-clearing double off Noah Cameron that tied the game at 3-3. The 23-year-old has driven in 63 runs in a season that likely would have won him in the American League Rookie of the Year if not for a certain teammate. Wilson’s average has taken a big dip, but a .313/.356/.447 slash in your first full season is impressive stuff.

The Astros could not get Wilson out on the bases on Tuesday as he reached in all four plate appearances. After drawing a walk in the first inning, He doubled and scored a run in the fourth. He then drove in a run with a single in the fifth before walking and scoring in the eighth. The 23-year-old shortstop has hit .318/.362/.453 with 13 homers, 62 runs scored, and 60 RBI across 508 plate appearances.

With Bo Bichette (.311) on the shelf, it looks like the AL batting title — and probably the MLB lead — might come down to Aaron Judge (.321) and Wilson (.319). Trea Turner is the NL leader at .305.

Wilson collected the only two hits off of Rangers’ starter Jacob deGrom with a pair of singles. He then got the A’s on the board with a two-run double in the eighth inning and scored on a double by Tyler Soderstrom. The 23-year-old shortstop continues to shine at the plate this season, slashing .313/.354/.450 with 12 homers, 55 RBI and five stolen bases in 430 plate appearances.

Wilson takes a seat after making five consecutive starts since returning from the injured list last Friday. The 23-year-old rookie sensation has gone 6-for-20 with two homers and eight RBI during that span. It’ll be Darell Hernaiz filling in at shortstop on Wednesday evening.