Athletics' Jacob Wilson problem might not go away anytime soon

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Athletics' Jacob Wilson problem might not go away anytime soon originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

The Athletics have made a lot of investments in their lineup for the long haul in recent years. One of the players they've recently locked in long-term is Jacob Wilson.

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The son of Jack Wilson, Jacob was coming off an All-Star rookie campaign in 2025 with some incredible production that gave the A's confidence to hand him a $70 million, seven-year deal.

However, as Bleacher Report's Joel Reuter highlighted among five "overhyped" star players this season, Wilson's start to 2026 has been far from ideal. And, unfortunately, this might not go away anytime soon.

Athletics' Jacob Wilson's struggles might not go away for a while

"The risk with a high-contact hitter is that not all contact is created equally," Reuter writes. "A weak batted-ball profile is catching up to Wilson this season."

So far in 2026, Wilson has just a .275 batting average on balls in play, down from his .317 last season. Along with just one walk in 81 plate appearances, it's hardly a surprise that Wilson is struggling this season.

Rueter called out how "with so much value tied to his batting average," Wilson's failure to get hits like he has this year is a major issue for the Athletics.

If the A's shortstop cannot hit better than he is right now, with a .250 batting average compared to a .311 last season, he's in store for a long year.

His strikeout rate is up from a 7.3% last season to a 12.3% this year, and his walk rate has dropped significantly from a 5.2% to a brutal 1.2% this season.

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Even though he is hitting the ball harder more often this season, the contact he is getting isn't resulting in hits. And with his profile revolving around batting average more so than plate discipline and power, this is becoming a very real problem.

It's still early in the season, and entirely possible he turns things around. But, as things currently stand, the A's shortstop struggling this much at the one thing that made him a star last season is something to be worried about.

Wilson's approach at the plate can work only if his batting average is high. But, with his average lower, and the underlying metrics not looking good, these Wilson issues for the Athletics might not go away for some time this season.

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