How the A’s First Round Pick Jacob Wilson Lets God Lead his Life
By Movieguide® Contributor
Jacob Wilson’s commitment to God dates back to high school. During a trip to Dave and Buster’s with his father to save up tickets and buy a Tristar Hidden Treasure autographed baseball – a tradition of theirs – the two started talking about colleges.
Wilson had just received his first Division-I baseball offer from Grand Canyon University (GCU), his father’s alma mater. Beyond his personal ties to the school, Wilson’s father believed the Christian school would be a good fit for Wilson, allowing him to intentionally grow in his faith.
When the pair cashed in their tickets and opened their prize, the baseball they received was signed by former Silver Slugger and 1993 American Rookie of the Year Tim Salmon – the best major leaguer to graduate from GCU. Wilson took that trip is a sign from God and committed to GCU without any more thought.
“At that point, the decision was made for us,” Wilson told MLB.com. “We have a life of faith. Our family is based on our faith in Christ, and there are definitely signs if we pay attention.”
GCU was certainly the place for him as he became the program’s all-time leader in hits (224) and RBIs (155) on his way to the MLB. Wilson’s most impressive stat, however, comes from striking out only 31 times in 620 career plate appearances – 19 of those strikeouts coming in his freshman year.
This past year Wilson batted .411 and was a consensus All-American in addition to his third All-WAC First-team selection.
With Wilson’s incredible stats it no was surprise when he was selected sixth overall in the MLB draft on Sunday when the A’s made him their first pick.
“It’s a dream come true for sure,” Wilson said following his selection. “This is a moment I’ve been waiting for a long time now. I’m super excited to hear my name called. I’m super thankful for my family and friends who supported me throughout this entire process.”
A’s general manager David Forst highlighted Wilson’s abilities both on offense and defense.
“We’re incredibly excited to have Jacob,” Forst said. “We really believe Jacob is a unique player. He has a unique skill in putting the bat on the ball. This is a kid with outstanding defensive skills at shortstop… When you put it all together, it’s an incredibly exciting package for someone we feel really confident is a major league player.”
It is encouraging to see a strong man of faith perform so well in his sport. Hopefully he will use his new MLB platform to continue to share his faith and make God’s name known.
Movieguide® previously reported on faith in the MLB:
Whether Story experiences success on the field or is hindered by injury and playing poorly, his faith remains in Christ.
While on the Table Forty podcast last June, Story expressed the primary role faith plays in his life.
“I was thinking about it the other day and I was like, ‘I don’t know how you play baseball without being a Christian and having that strong faith,’ just because this game is so demanding and it’s built on failure,” Story said. “You’re going to fail many more times than you succeed. That is kind of similar to life.”
This dynamic is amplified in a city like Boston, where fans take their baseball seriously.
“I think that’s really rooted in my faith, being in the Word,” Story said. “I think we all need to be in the Word more than we are. That’s a challenge of mine that I really try to do.”
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