In an age where batting average is so often neglected for stats that consider more valuable outcomes than a single, players who rank amongst the league leaders in average no longer draw the lion’s share of the fanfare. Scouts and executives no longer care for bat to ball skills without pop, and as a result players with an elite hit tool but no power are judged off of their speed and defense more than their bat.

Still, Jacob Wilson was a consensus top 100 prospect from the time he was drafted sixth overall in 2023 until his promotion in 2024, almost entirely off the back of a truly astonishing hit tool. It’s not often that a player can maintain a strikeout rate under 5% at multiple levels for an extended period of time, but Wilson has done just that, including his 4.4% strike out rate so far this season. He’s a solid defender at shortstop who should grade out as an above average fielder, but doesn’t possess great speed or power, and he’s got a decent but unremarkable arm.

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