{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2023}} {{Short description|American baseball player (born 1992)}} {{Infobox MLB player |name=Austin Wilson |position=Outfielder |team= |bats=Right |throws=Right |birth_date={{birth date and age|1992|2|7}} |birth_place=Los Angeles, California, U.S. }} '''Austin H. Wilson''' (born February 7, 1992) is an American former professional baseball outfielder. He attended Stanford University, where he played college baseball for the Stanford Cardinal team. He was projected to be a first round pick in the 2013 Major League Baseball draft but was chosen by the Seattle Mariners in the 2nd round.
==Amateur career== As a youth, Wilson played baseball in a local league in Southern California. His parents brought him to Reggie Smith's baseball clinic to receive further instruction. Wilson then attended Harvard-Westlake High School, where he was twice named a prep school All-American.<ref name=sfgate/> Playing in a Southern California showcase before his junior year, Wilson earned attention from Major League Baseball teams. He then proceeded to compile a .543 batting average, seven home runs and 29 runs batted in in 23 games during his junior year.<ref name=espn/> As a senior, Wilson batted .485 with a .802 slugging percentage.<ref name=sfgate/>
Considered a five-tool prospect,<ref name=sfgate>{{cite web|url=http://www.sfgate.com/collegesports/article/Stanford-baseball-s-Austin-Wilson-s-big-potential-3242636.php |title=Stanford baseball's Austin Wilson's big potential |publisher=SFGate |date=February 22, 2011 |access-date=May 17, 2013}}</ref> ''Baseball America'' ranked Wilson the 27th best prospect available in the 2010 Major League Baseball draft,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.foxsportsmidwest.com/pages/landing?Cardinals-take-gamble-on-high-school-phe=1&blockID=249830&feedID= |title=FOX Sports Midwest home page |publisher=Foxsportsmidwest.com |date= |access-date=May 16, 2017}}</ref> and he was widely projected to be a first-round draft pick in the 2010 Major League Baseball draft.<ref name=espn>{{cite web|url=https://www.espn.com/high-school/baseball/story/_/id/4908298/california-dreaming/ |title=Whether on the field or in the classroom, Harvard-Westlake (Studio City, Calif.) outfielder Austin Wilson is at the top of his game|first=Ryan|last=Canner-O'Mealy|work=ESPN.com |publisher=ESPN Internet Ventures|date=February 12, 2010 |access-date=May 17, 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|date=January 1, 2010|first=Eric |last=Sondheimer |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2010-jan-01-la-sp-sondheimer1-2010jan01-story.html |title=Westlake and Oaks Christian will tango. Will Gary McKnight fox trot? - Los Angeles Times |publisher=Articles.latimes.com |access-date=May 17, 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.foxsportswest.com/06/02/10/Harvard-Westlakes-Wilson-Facing-a-Tough-/landing.html?blockID=245534&feedID=4034 |title=Harvard Westlake's Wilson Facing a Tough Decision |publisher=Foxsportswest.com |date=June 2, 2010 |access-date=May 17, 2013}}</ref> Wilson committed to attend Stanford University to play college baseball for the Stanford Cardinal baseball team. Signability concerns led Wilson to fall to the 12th round of the draft, where the St. Louis Cardinals selected Wilson.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://stlouis.cardinals.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20100608&content_id=10945494&vkey=news_stl&fext=.jsp&c_id=stl |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100611031136/http://stlouis.cardinals.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20100608&content_id=10945494&vkey=news_stl&fext=.jsp&c_id=stl |url-status=dead |archive-date=June 11, 2010 |title=Cards balance risk, reward in picking Wilson |publisher=Stlouis.cardinals.mlb.com |date=June 8, 2010 |access-date=May 17, 2013}}</ref> Despite the Cardinals' efforts to convince Wilson to sign a professional contract,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://mets.scout.com/2/985436.html |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130630071701/http://mets.scout.com/2/985436.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=June 30, 2013 |title=Scout.com: Cardinals Try to Impress Prep Star Wilson |publisher=Mets.scout.com |date=July 21, 2010 |access-date=May 17, 2013 }}</ref> including making an offer equivalent to that given to first round picks, Wilson opted to enroll at Stanford.<ref>{{cite web|author=Jeff Gordon |url=http://www.stltoday.com/sports/baseball/professional/article_b9efbe70-aa14-11df-af72-00127992bc8b.html |title=Cards open vault, secure excellent draft class : Sports |publisher=Stltoday.com |date=August 17, 2010 |access-date=May 17, 2013}}</ref>
As a freshman in 2011, Wilson earned an All-Pacific-10 Conference honorable mention after batting .313 with a team-leading four home runs during the regular season.<ref>{{cite web|last=Bennett |first=Miles |url=http://www.stanforddaily.com/2011/06/02/brief-piscotty-ragira-lead-seven-cardinal-baseball-players-on-all-pac-10-teams/ |title=BRIEF: Piscotty, Ragira lead seven Cardinal baseball players on All-Pac-10 teams |publisher=Stanford Daily |date=June 2, 2011 |access-date=May 17, 2013}}</ref> During the summer of 2011, Wilson played summer collegiate baseball for the Harwich Mariners in the Cape Cod Baseball League, winning the league's championship, though he batted only. 204.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.paloaltoonline.com/news/show_story.php?id=22174 |title=Piscotty, Appel draw attention in Cape Cod |publisher=Palo Alto Online |date= |access-date=May 17, 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://baseball.pointstreak.com/player.html?playerid=142753&seasonid=532 |title=#24 Austin Wilson |publisher=pointstreak.com |accessdate=August 12, 2021}}</ref> Wilson returned to the Cape Cod League in 2012, improving his batting average.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://baseball.pointstreak.com/player.html?playerid=318485&seasonid=12252 |title=#24 Austin Wilson |publisher=pointstreak.com |accessdate=August 12, 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url= http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/varsitytimesinsider/2012/07/baseball-locals-among-leaders-in-cape-cod-league.html |title= Baseball: Locals among leaders in Cape Cod League - latimes.com |publisher= Latimesblogs.latimes.com |date=July 5, 2012 |access-date=May 17, 2013}}</ref> In 2013, Wilson was named a preseason All-American by ''Baseball America''. He missed significant time during the 2013 season with an elbow injury.<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.baseballamerica.com/blog/college/2013/02/stanfords-austin-wilson-to-miss-another-2-4-weeks/ |title=Blog | Baseball America College Blog | Stanford's Austin Wilson To Miss Another 2-4 Weeks |publisher=Baseball America |date=February 26, 2013 |access-date=May 17, 2013}}</ref> Returning from injury in April,<ref>{{cite web|last=Crawford |first=Christopher |url=https://insider.espn.com/blog/mlb-draft/post?id=17 |title=The return of Austin Wilson - MLB Draft Blog Blog - ESPN |publisher=ESPN |date= April 8, 2013|access-date=May 17, 2013}}</ref>
==Professional career== ===Seattle Mariners=== Wilson was considered by some a potential first round pick in the 2013 Major League Baseball draft but was not selected in the first round.<ref>{{cite web|last=Churchill |first=Jason A. |url=https://insider.espn.com/blog/mlb-draft/post?id=537 |title=Draft could produce run on bats - MLB Draft Blog Blog - ESPN |publisher=ESPN |date= May 9, 2013|access-date=May 17, 2013}}</ref> He was eventually picked with the 49th overall selection of the second round. Wilson signed with the Mariners, and played for the Everett AquaSox of the Low-A Northwest League<ref>{{cite web|last=Stone |first=Larry |url=http://blogs.seattletimes.com/mariners/2013/06/21/mariners-notes-austin-wilson-signs-stephen-pryor-progresses-lineups-and-more/ |title=Mariners notes: Austin Wilson signs, Stephen Pryor progresses, lineups, and more | Mariners blog | Seattle Times |publisher=Blogs.seattletimes.com |date=June 21, 2013 |access-date=May 16, 2017}}</ref> in 2013, batting .241 with six home runs and 27 RBI. In 2014, Wilson played for the Clinton LumberKings of the Single-A Midwest League<ref name=graduation/> where he greatly improved, batting .291 with 12 home runs, 54 RBI, and a .893 OPS. He spent 2015 with the Bakersfield Blaze of the High-A California League where he posted a .239 average with ten home runs and 48 RBI. Wilson returned to Bakersfield in 2016 where he batted .226 with 13 home runs and 49 RBI.
===St. Louis Cardinals=== On December 8, 2016, at the Winter Meetings, the St. Louis Cardinals selected Wilson from the Mariners in the minor league phase of the Rule 5 draft.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.mlb.com/news/2016-rule-5-draft-results-c210580878|title=2016 Rule 5 Draft results|work=MLB.com|access-date=December 8, 2015|archive-date=December 20, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161220142048/http://m.mlb.com/news/article/210580878/2016-rule-5-draft-results/|url-status=live}}</ref> The Cardinals assigned him to the High-A Palm Beach Cardinals, and after batting .168 in 199 at-bats, he was released on July 4, 2017.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.milb.com/player/austin-wilson-592868|title=Austin Wilson Stats, Highlights, Bio - MiLB.com Stats - The Official Site of Minor League Baseball|publisher=|access-date=December 15, 2017}}</ref>
==Personal life== Wilson's parents both have Master of Business Administration degrees from Harvard University.<ref name=sfgate/><ref name=espn/> Austin completed his degree at Stanford.<ref name=graduation>{{cite web|last=Cahill |first=Teddy |url=http://m.mariners.mlb.com/news/article/80865522/days-after-graduation-seattle-mariners-prospect-austin-wilson-hits-home-run |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140917113401/http://m.mariners.mlb.com/news/article/80865522/days-after-graduation-seattle-mariners-prospect-austin-wilson-hits-home-run |url-status=dead |archive-date=September 17, 2014 |title=Days after graduation, Seattle Mariners prospect Austin Wilson hits home run |publisher=M.mariners.mlb.com |date= |access-date=May 16, 2017}}</ref>
==See also== *Rule 5 draft results
==References== {{Reflist|30em}}
==External links== {{Portal|Baseball}} {{baseballstats|brm=wilson001aus}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Wilson, Austin}} Category:1992 births Category:Living people Category:Baseball players from Los Angeles Category:Baseball outfielders Category:Stanford Cardinal baseball players Category:Harwich Mariners players Category:Everett AquaSox players Category:Clinton LumberKings players Category:Bakersfield Blaze players Category:Arizona League Mariners players Category:Harvard-Westlake School alumni Category:Palm Beach Cardinals players Category:Minor league baseball players