30. Ivan Wilson, OF
Height: 6’3”
Weight: 220 Lbs
DOB: 5/26/1995 (Age:18)
Bats/Throws: Right/Right
Hit: 30/55 Power: 40/60 Arm: 50/60 Field: 45/60 Speed: 55/65
It has been some time since I mentioned that I liked Ivan Wilson, so here’s my chance once again… I like Ivan Wilson. I think he’s got the potential to be an awesome MLB player — and a five-tool one at that. He has nice raw power, above-average speed, a good enough arm and tracks down balls well, and his set-up in the batter’s box is sound, according to BA. He also has pretty quick hands, which I appreciate — even though he had a rough time in the GCL.
His .219/.321/.300 line left a lot to be desired in his first year of pro ball, but that’s actually okay. After this season, I wrote this about Wilson, which still applies here:
Although he has some of the better raw power in the system, if he’s not making contact it’ll all be for naught. That’s why his power numbers look pretty weak. Spending time in professional ball means his first real experience dealing with breaking pitches — and it isn’t always an easy adjustment. He did steal 13 bases in just 160 ABs, which gives me hope down the line. His line drive rate stayed about the same all year, hovering around 15.0%, so he’ll look to improve on that. He did show his best eye at the plate as the season winded down, walking at around 16.2% clip in August — his best month of the season.
Outlook: I don’t really get tired of writing about Ivan Wilson because I think he’ll be able to jump up some prospect lists as time goes on. He has so much raw talent that I have stated in the past that I have more hope for him than I do for Brandon Nimmo. He played a lot of center field, but his development could see him move over to a corner spot to better utilize his skill-set. He flashes five-tool potential and is certainly raw — but is definitely the type of player you want to gamble on. With the potential to someday be a 20 HR / 15 SB player with a decent average, Wilson will be on our minds in 2014 as he moves to Kingsport.
MMN Top 40 Prospects
30. Ivan Wilson
Satish, you have been very excited about Wilson, but have not given an example of what you saw that has excited you. His batting line is not a big deal, as you have said. We all saw the writeup after they drafted him, but what did you see, or know about this player that gets you so excited?
Hey Tex,
It’ll sometimes take a while for players to turn potential into production. Since Ivan was only 18 and this was his first time playing pro ball, I was willing to give most of his stats a pass in favor of the fact that he’s a potential five-tool player.
The tone of my commentary could shift after next year.
Satish, KNEW YOU’D WRITE ABOUT HIM.
…Anyway, I think 20-20 would be pretty good for peak too. He’s pretty interesting nonetheless.