Athletics' Wilson named AL Rookie of the Month after magnificent May
Athletics' Wilson named AL Rookie of the Month after magnificent May originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
A memorable May just got even better for Jacob Wilson.
The Athletics' sterling young shortstop earned AL Rookie of the Month honors Tuesday after putting up stellar numbers over the last few weeks.
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In May, Wilson posted .368/.437/.538 splits at the plate, along with four home runs, six doubles and 16 RBI. He also walked 11 times compared to just eight strikeouts over 27 games.
Before Tuesday's game against the Minnesota Twins, Athletics manager Mark Kotsay praised Wilson's continuing development.
'The month was special,' Kotsay told reporters. 'He's been a big, big part of the offense and continues to just use his 'magic wand,' as we want to call it. The bat-to-ball skill is exceptional.
'He's beating all expectations. I think the growth from a shortstop that we saw from last year to this year is noticeable. I think he's making more plays than he did last season, and I think he'll continue to get better.'
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In addition to his play overall, the No. 6 overall pick from the 2023 MLB Draft created some unforgettable moments over the past month as well.
Wilson recorded the third walk-off hit of his young career on May 6 with an 11th-inning single to beat the Seattle Mariners. Needing only 62 career games, that made him the second-fastest player since at least 1969 to record three walk-off hits, per MLB's Sarah Langs.
A week later, the Los Angeles native had a dominant homecoming to Dodger Stadium on May 13. In an 11-1 drubbing of the Dodgers, Wilson knocked out a pair of two-run home runs and finished with four hits.
Wilson, who entered 2024 as the top prospect in the Athletics' organization, has vaulted himself into the frontrunner for the 2025 AL Rookie of the Year race. And though the Green and Gold have struggled lately, Wilson can continue to cement himself as a centerpiece of the team's young core if his May numbers continue throughout the summer.
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