TAMPA — Some of Jacob Wilson’s favorite childhood memories were spent in Atlanta, where he often accompanied his father, Jack, to the ballpark as he finished the final two seasons of his Major League career with the Braves.
“When he was there, it was [Turner Field],” Jacob said. “I haven’t been to the new stadium yet, but it would be super cool to go back. It’s a place I grew up in for two years watching my Dad play there as a Braves fan at the time.”
In a couple of weeks, the Athletics shortstop will be back in Atlanta to create some new memories as an All-Star.
Wilson’s meteoric rise as a budding young star has rightfully landed him in the 2025 All-Star Game, earning a starting spot for the American League after beating out Royals superstar Bobby Witt Jr. in Phase 2 of voting results, which were revealed on Wednesday. The Midsummer Classic is set for July 15 (5 p.m. PT, FOX) at Truist Park.
It’s a historic first career All-Star selection for Wilson, who is now set to become the first fan-elected rookie shortstop to start an All-Star Game. The 23-year-old is also the first Athletics shortstop to earn a starting nod since Bert Campaneris in 1974, and the first A’s position player to start an All-Star Game since Josh Donaldson in 2014.
Wilson’s nod at shortstop marks just the third fan-elected starting assignment for an Athletics player since 1993, joining first baseman Jason Giambi (2000) and Donaldson.
“That’s crazy,” Wilson said. “It’s such an honor just to represent this organization in doing that. … But this isn’t a one-person battle. I’ve had an incredible amount of help on the way that I’m super thankful for.”
Held out of the starting lineup for Wednesday afternoon’s 6-5 loss to the Rays, Wilson was admittedly a bit anxious before the game as he awaited the final All-Star voting results. Of course, just the fact that he was in the competition with Witt, a player whom he watched and admired as a fan only a couple of years ago while playing college ball at Grand Canyon University, was a shock in itself.
“This definitely was not on my mind back in Spring Training or before the year started,” Wilson said. “This is something you kind of dream of. Definitely a special day. It’s exciting. … We have great teammates and coaches here who have helped me along the way. I’m super grateful for them and super happy to be in this position.”
Wilson has certainly earned this first All-Star nod. Entering Wednesday, he ranked second in the Majors in hits (108) and batting average (.339), trailing only reigning AL MVP Aaron Judge in those categories, while his 34 multihit games were tied with the Yankees’ slugger for most in MLB.
Wilson also continues to perform as the runaway favorite for AL Rookie of the Year, leading all Major League rookies in hits, batting average, on-base percentage (.380), slugging (.473), OPS (.853), runs (42) and RBIs (40), while his 25 extra-base hits were tied for second most.
Beyond those numbers, Wilson’s overall game is suited well for a showcase of the MLB’s brightest stars. His at-bats are always must-watch, from his unconventional batting stance and twitchy bat movement during his setup at the plate. At the very least, Wilson will be an extremely tough out for some of the best National League pitchers due to his elite bat-to-ball skills — Wilson has struck out just 26 times in 343 plate appearances.
“Being the first rookie shortstop to be voted in by the fans would be quite an honor and recognition,” manager Mark Kotsay said. “There’s a lot of good shortstops in the American League right now. You look at Bobby Witt, [Jeremy] Peña with the Astros, and there’s a lot more. For Jacob to be in that category says a lot about the season he’s having right now.”
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