20. Marcus Wilson (Outfielder)
I have always been a big Blake Swihart guy. To this day I still believe the Red Sox kind of botched that whole situation. He was an elite catching prospect just a few years ago. His athleticism made him so unique. It could help him become a much better defender while giving him an elite offense and make him a serious threat on the base paths. That’s something you don’t get from most catchers.
However, the bottom line is that by the end of it, clearly moving on was for the best for everyone involved.
It sucks that he had to get traded, but wow did the Red Sox get a great return. In 2019, Boston traded Swihart to the Arizona Diamondbacks for an outfield prospect. That prospect was Marcus Wilson.
Wilson is a very interesting prospect. He has shown signs of being someone that can hit for a very solid average. That’s about the worst thing I can say about him.
Wilson has great pop in his bat and is an excellent defender. He made multiple incredible plays last year, including some game-saving grabs and throws. He also has plus-speed that makes him a serious threat on the base paths and only makes his defense better.
Last year, Wilson had arguably his best campaign to date.
The right-handed hitter’s .269 average was the second-best of his career. Meanwhile, the .357 OBP was the third-best and the .492 slugging was the best.
The reason the slugging percentage was so high was because he had career-highs in doubles (28) and home runs (18), while roping two triples as well. In fact, those 18 home runs were a full eight better than any year prior.
Meanwhile, the 58 RBI and 65 runs scored were career-bests as well. Although his 13 steals weren’t even close to a career-best, his 76.5% (13-for-17) success rate was the second-highest percentage of his career.
Wilson is an all-around prospect. He reminds me a lot of what Jackie Bradley Jr. can do now.
Although he won’t get you a .300 average, Wilson should be able to hit over .250 consistently (something Bradley Jr. doesn’t do). Meanwhile, he’ll play great defense and has good pop and excellent speed that makes him a threat to steal a ton of bases.
Wilson also has a very long career ahead of him, as he just turned 23 on August 15. He spent a heavy majority of 2019 in Double-A but that’s likely where he’ll start 2020 as well. That being said, Wilson has a chance to really impress in the upcoming season. If that happens, a trip to the Majors isn’t out of the question.
That’s especially true with the uncertainty of a few specific outfielders on the team.
Wilson’s got a real chance to be a legitimate piece on a contending team. Keep an eye out for him. The Red Sox really got an amazing return in this trade.