2025 All-Star and Athletics rookie shortstop Jacob Wilson joined The Matt & Kayla Show on Thursday afternoon to discuss his excitement for the upcoming 2026 MLB season, his expectations for the A’s, being surrounded by other up-and-coming young talent, and more.
“I think we all have the same goal is to go up there and play good baseball,” Wilson said. “And, you know, see how many wins that we can put together throughout the year and make it to a little bit further than the regular season.
The Athletics finished last season with a 76-86 record despite a disastrous 1-20 stretch in the second half of May that led into June. Finishing 11 games behind the final American League Wild Card spot still leaves plenty of room for improvement and growth in 2026, but their young talent turned heads.
Wilson finished the season second in AL Rookie of the Year voting, placing behind fellow Athletic first baseman Nick Kurtz. When asked how beneficial it is to have other young players alongside him in the clubhouse and on the field, Wilson acknowledged the clear benefit of growing together as a group.
“I think it helps a lot,” he told Matt & Kayla. “You know, being with of the guys you share the field with, you have such a great connection with in the clubhouse. These guys, a lot of them are really close friends. And I think that, when your team has such a tight bond like we do, I think it helps that we go out every day and play the game that we love.”
“I think we all kind of benefit off each other,” Wilson continued. “I think everybody kind of sees the success that guys are having and just wants to build off that. And we kind of just make each other better. Make each other better throughout the year. And you know, it’s easy to be able to go there and play well when you go out there with your boys doing it.”
With spring training just getting underway, Wilson and the Athletics are preparing for their second season playing at Sutter Health Park in Sacramento. Being known as a hitter’s park certainly plays into the favor of their offensive-heavy squad.
“Us hitters are very excited to go back,” he said of their temporary home ballpark. “As a hitter, you love a good ballpark where the ball flies out of there. Pretty good with that jet stream, but coming from a pitcher standpoint, I can understand why it’s a little frustrating, but, like I said, from a hitter’s perspective, we love it. It’s awesome. So, you know, we’re excited to be back there, like I said, to be able to represent the city again.”
Be sure to check out the entire interview with Athletics shortstop Jacob Wilson at the top of this page, or on the Sactown Sports 1140 YouTube channel.
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