Baseball America Predicts NC State’s Will Wilson to Win ACC Player of the Year

Baseball America released their preseason ACC predictions and awards this week, and NC State Junior Shortstop Will Wilson is their preseason pick to win the 2019 ACC Player of the Year Award.

Player of the Year: Will Wilson, SS, North Carolina State

The best pure hitter in the ACC, Wilson hit. 303 over his first two years with the Wolfpack, and he showed last year that he packs plenty of power into a smaller frame with 15 home runs. Clemson shortstop Logan Davidson also homered 15 times and is another strong candidate for this award, though Wilson’s track record of hitting trumps Davidson’s and makes him the safer pick. Scouts rave about Wilson’s off-the-field makeup and baseball instincts, but what stands out the most is his innate feel for putting the barrel on the ball and making adjustments at the plate. Wilson has improved defensively and brings reliable hands and enough arm strength for shortstop, but his lack of quickness could move him to second base at the next level. He’s got more than enough defensive ability to handle the position at the college level, however. (BA)

They project the Wolfpack to finish 4th in the Atlantic Division, and make the NCAA Tournament once again this year. Here’s what they had to say about the Pack.

North Carolina State: The Wolfpack return a number of important pieces to a lineup that helped push them to a 41-28 record last season, most notably shortstop Will Wilson. Outside of Wilson’s impact bat, NC State returns catcher Patrick Bailey, who hit .321/.419/.604 with 13 home runs during his freshman campaign. Bailey’s defensive ability matches or exceeds his skill with a bat, and he ranks as the top defensive catcher in the league with excellent receiving, blocking and throwing ability as well as a knack for handling the pitching staff. Speaking of which, NC State believes the 2019 team will have the most pitching depth the program has had since 2013 during the Carlos Rodon years. While the Wolfpack doesn’t have that caliber of arm, righthander Reid Johnston returns from last year’s weekend rotation after posting a 3.06 ERA over 64.1 innings, while junior college transfer righthander Alec Barger can run his fastball into the mid-90s and has improved his off-speed offerings during the fall. Additionally, NC State brings back 6-foot-7 lefthander Kent Klyman, who posted a 2.34 ERA out of the bullpen with 67 strikeouts in 61.2 innings of work. Klyman could be used in the rotation this season, but head coach Elliot Avent also has lefthander Canaan Silver—another junior college transfer—who throws a four-pitch arsenal for strikes consistently. (BA)

They also project that Wilson is the #2 2019 MLB Draft prospect, and that Sophomore Catcher Patrick Bailey is the #2 prospect in the ACC for the 2020 MLB Draft.