Wilson is the 360th former Northwoods League player to debut in MLB
Rochester, Minn. – Former Mankato MoonDog Jacob Wilson made his Major League debut for the Oakland Athletics on Friday, July 19, 2024. Wilson is the 360th former Northwoods League player to reach the Major League level.
Wilson, who played collegiately at Grand Canyon University, played for the Mankato MoonDogs in 2021. He was drafted in the 1st round, 6th overall, of the 2023 MLB draft by the Athletics.
In 2021 with the MoonDogs, Wilson played in 27 games and hit .302 with two home runs, five doubles, and 11 runs scored. He drove in 15 and walked nine times.
Wilson started his professional career in 2023 with the Athletics Rookie level team in the Arizona Complex League. After three games he was sent to the Lansing Lugnuts of the High-A Midwest League. Between the two clubs he played in 26 games and hit .333 with a home run, 11 doubles and 13 RBI. He stole four bases and scored 17 times.
Prior to his callup to the Athletics, Wilson had started the season with the Athletics team in the Arizona Complex League. After five games he moved up to the Midland RockHounds of the AA Texas League. He would play in 22 games in Midland before another promotion to the Las Vegas Aviators of the AAA Pacific Coast League. For the year he was hitting .438 in 46 games with seven home runs, 25 doubles and 34 RBI. In his Major League debut against the Los Angeles Angels, Wilson started the game at shortstop and went 1 for 1 at the plate with a run scored.
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The Northwoods League is the proven leader in the development of elite college baseball players. Now in its’ 31st season, the Northwoods League is the largest organized baseball league in history with 26 teams, drawing significantly more fans, in a friendly ballpark experience, than any league of its kind. A valuable training ground for coaches, umpires, and front office staff, 360 Northwoods League players have advanced to Major League Baseball, including three-time All-Star and 2016 Roberto Clemente Award winner Curtis Granderson, three-time Cy Young Award winner and two-time World Series Champion Max Scherzer (TEX), two-time World Series Champions Ben Zobrist and Brandon Crawford (STL) and World Series Champion Chris Sale (ATL). As well as 2019 Rookie of the Year and 2019/2021 Home Run Derby Champion Pete Alonso (NYM) and 2023 World Series Champion, MLB All-Star, MLB Gold Glove and Silver Slugger winner and two-time All-MLB first team shortstop Marcus Semien (TEX). League games are viewable live on Northwoods League+ (at watch.northwoodsleague.com), ESPN+, and the Northwoods League Network. Learn more and find complete streaming schedules at watchnwl.com. For more information, visit www.northwoodsleague.com or download the Northwoods League Mobile App on the Apple App Store or on Google Play.
