Jacob Wilson DVOA, Advanced Stats, & Fantasy Rankings

Athletics shortstop Jacob Wilson popped a pair of home runs in a 2-for-3 day at the plate in Monday's 7-6 Cactus League win over the Mariners. They were the 22-year-old's third and fourth home runs of the spring, and the five RBI he collected brings the total to 12 through 15 games. The former 2023 first-round draft pick made quick work of the minors, ascending all the way to the majors by the second half of 2024, although a hamstring injury in his debut limited the right-handed hitter to just 14 games in the big leagues. Still, he rarely struck out in the minors, posting a measly 7.7 percent K%, then continued to hold his own in the majors, logging just a 9.7 percent K% in 92 at-bats. Set to be the Athletics' Opening Day shortstop, he should be in for a solidly productive season. With an NFBC ADP of 365, the Athletics' No. 1-ranked prospect can be had at the end of most drafts, and although his main contribution for fantasy might be batting average, perhaps the newfound power stroke can add a few more home runs and RBI than expected.

Athletics shortstop prospect Jacob Wilson is projected to be the team's Opening Day shortstop. Wilson is viewed as the top prospect in their system. He made his MLB debut last summer and held a .250/.314/.315 line across 28 games before suffering a season-ending hamstring injury. After being drafted with the sixth-overall selection in the 2023 MLB Draft and appearing in just 29 MiLB games later that summer, Wilson flashed elite upside in 2024. He began his season with Double-A and posted a .455/.473/.705 slash line across 22 contests. He then moved up to Triple-A and held a .396/.448/.613 line across 26 contests before reaching the majors. Given his high-quality contact skills, fantasy managers should view Wilson as a strong batting average contributor in the final rounds of the draft. He also carries high sleeper value in points leagues as well given the low 9.7 percent strikeout rate he held in his first taste of the majors.