MidValleySports.Com

By Tim Byrnes

The Athletics continue to revamp the mantra of the franchise, making off-season moves that historically, the team has avoided. 2025 AL All-Star shortstop Jacob Wilson and the Athletics have reached an agreement on a seven-year/ $70,000,000 contract with a club-option for an eighth season in 2033, should the A’s choose to do so.

Wilson, a first-round pick (sixth overall) in 2023, had one of the best rookie campaigns in recent franchise history, slashing a line of .311/.355/.444 across 125 games. However, while batting .335 in early July, Wilson was hit on the wrist in retaliation for a Lawrence Butler inside-the-park home run. The injury cost him games, stunted an amazing start to his rookie season, and yet he still finished second for the American League batting title behind Aaron Judge’s .331 clip.

Wilson was the starting American League shortstop in the All-Star Game, and was second in the AL Rookie of the Year voting; losing out on the award to teammate 1B Nick Kurtz.

He is the son of MLB journeyman shortstop Jack Wilson, a 2004 All-Star and Silver Slugger Award winner, who played parts of a dozen seasons for the Pittsburgh Pirates, Seattle Mariners, and Atlanta Braves.

The younger Wilson had three stellar seasons at Grand Canyon University, where he batted .361 with 155 rbi’s in 155 games. His father joined him there in the 2022-23 seasons as an assistant coach and continued to instill strict contact approaches in his son’s hitting style.
In his first season in the minors, he batted a solid .333 in limited games but exploded in 2024. Beginning in ROK, Wilson batted .571 and after five games was quickly promoted to AA-Midland, where his average remained elite at .455 with 19 rbi’s in 22 games.

The high average earned him yet another promotion, this time to AAA-Las Vegas, and he didn’t disappoint, hitting .396 in 26 games and showed discipline beyond his years with just five strikeouts in 106 AAA at-bats.

Across the three levels, Wilson finished 2024 batting .433 with 35 extra-base hits and in 2025 began his amazing rookie run.

The focus on contact hitting translated well for Wilson and it showed as he only had 39 total strikeouts in 486 2025 major league at-bats. His approach does affect the power numbers, with Wilson hitting just 13 home runs to go along with 26 doubles, but still produced 63 rbi’s on the year.

After years of stagnant moves to improve the team for the long-haul, the A’s seem to understand just how talent-rich they are. In January 2025, GM David Forst signed All-Star DH Brent Rooker to a 5-year/ $60,000,000 contract extension lasting through 2029, with a club/vesting option for 2030.

Two months later, OF Lawrence Butler signed a 7-year/ $65,000,000 extension lasting through 2031, with a club-option for 2032. These transactions began the transactions that will carry the faces of the Athletics into the new stadium and Las Vegas home in 2028.

This off-season Forst began to secure the future further, when in December he signed LF Tyler Soderstrom to a massive 7-year/ $86,000,000 extension through 2032 ($131,000,000 with escalators), with a 2033 club-option. All $86m is guaranteed, making it the largest guaranteed contract in franchise history, and securing two of the three outfield positions with Butler. The other OF spot figures to be secured by 4-time Play of the Week Winner and Play of the Year OF Denzel Clarke.

With Wilson, Soderstrom, Rooker, and Butler all locked up through the first season in Vegas, the question is what do the A’s do next? Booney from the “Locked On A’s” Podcast feels 1B Nick Kurtz and C Shea Langeliers are targets for long-term extensions but they are unlikely to happen before 2027.

The A’s need a starting pitcher on the cheap, and FA former Yankees starter Marcus Stroman may be a possibility. A 90-87 career record with little interest thrown his way, could get an innings-eating starter for the Athletics rotation.

The Athletics have transformed into an aggressive franchise and extending Wilson and others has the fan base excited for the future.