The Athletics used their trio of picks on the first day of the 2023 MLB Draft to select three bats.
Oakland began its evening by drafting Grand Canyon University shortstop Jacob Wilson at No. 6 overall. The A's also took prep infielder Myles Naylor at No. 39 overall and Rutgers outfielder Ryan Lasko at No. 41.
Wilson, the son of former Pittsburgh Pirates shortstop Jack Wilson, played three seasons at GCU. He batted .412 with six home runs, 61 RBI and eight stolen bases for the Antelopes in 2023 while also taking home Western Athletic Conference Defensive Player of the Year honors.
“It’s a dream come true,” Wilson said Sunday evening on MLB Network after being selected by the A's. “This is a moment I’ve been waiting for for a long time now.”
Get a weekly recap of the latest San Francisco Bay Area housing news. Sign up for NBC Bay Area’s Housing Deconstructed newsletter.
Wilson was ranked as the No. 10 prospect heading into the draft by MLB Pipeline. He's the fourth shortstop the A's have drafted in the first round in the last seven years, joining Kevin Merrell (2017), Logan Davidson (2019) and Max Muncy (2021).
Like Wilson, Naylor also has family connections to The Show. His two older brothers, Josh and Bo, both play for the Cleveland Guardians. The youngest Naylor was ranked as the 64th-best prospect entering the draft by MLB Pipeline and is known to have some power in his bat.
Lasko, ranked No. 89 overall by MLB Pipeline, batted .330/.428/.582 with 11 home runs in 56 games with Rutgers in 2023.
News
The A's will continue adding to their 2023 draft class Monday when the annual event resumes for Rounds 3 to 10.
