Will Simpson Stats & Scouting Report

AB	396
AVG	.27
OBP	.373
SLG	.48
HR	16

Full name Will Langley Simpson
Born 08/28/2001 in Sammamish, WA
Profile Ht.: 6'4" / Wt.: 225 / Bats: R / Throws: R
School Washington
Drafted in the 15th round (436th overall) by the Oakland Athletics in 2023 (signed for $150,000).

View Draft Report

School: Washington Source: 4YR

Commit/Drafted: Pirates ’19 (18)
Age At Draft: 21.9
A fourth-year first baseman, Simpson went undrafted in 2022 after he homered 11 times as a junior, but he upped his home run rate in 2023 and positioned himself nicely to be a quality senior sign or money-saver on day two. The 6-foot-4, 225-pound righthanded hitter posted a .335/.418/.643 slash line, with a career-best 18 home runs, 12 doubles, a 23% strikeout rate and an 11.3% walk rate. He has plenty of power and solid-average exit velocities, but he swings-and-misses at a heavy clip and is a power-over-hit offensive profile at the next level. He works with an uphill bat path that’s intended to do damage and put balls in the air, but it also came with a 71% contact rate this spring and he swung-and-missed frequently on elevated fastball velocity. He’s a below-average defender at first, which only adds to the pressure on his offensive profile, as he’s already at the bottom of the defensive spectrum.

Top Rankings

Organization Prospect Rankings

BA Grade: 40/High

Track Record: The Pirates drafted the Sammamish, Wash. Native in the 18th round of the 2019 draft, but Simpson opted to stay home and attend Washington. He hit .299 and 36 homers over four college seasons. He proved to be a productive senior sign for the A’s after they signed him for $150,000 in the 15th round of the 2023 draft. Simpson hit .322/.373/.522 with four homers in 29 games with Low-A Stockton.

Scouting Report: The A’s were intrigued by Simpson’s above-average power potential and feel for launch in his pro debut. They were also impressed with his analytical aptitude upon arriving in Stockton. Simpson’s power plays to all fields, but comes with a tradeoff for contact ability. He faced swing-and-miss questions as an amateur, and there’s some concern his bat speed may be tested against better velocity. Simpson’s defensive profile also puts more strain on his bat. He was a below-average defender at first base as an amateur. Some within the A’s system believe he could be passable in a corner outfield spot, where he played sparingly in college, but there’s far more opportunity at first base in Oakland’s system.

The Future: Simpson has a high bar to clear as a power-over-hit righthanded first baseman, but he has the opportunity to move quickly in Oakland’s system after his pro debut put him on some internal radars.

Scouting Grades Hit: 45 | Power: 55 | Run: 40 | Field: 40 | Arm: 45

Draft Prospects

School: Washington Source: 4YR

Commit/Drafted: Pirates ’19 (18)
Age At Draft: 21.9
A fourth-year first baseman, Simpson went undrafted in 2022 after he homered 11 times as a junior, but he upped his home run rate in 2023 and positioned himself nicely to be a quality senior sign or money-saver on day two. The 6-foot-4, 225-pound righthanded hitter posted a .335/.418/.643 slash line, with a career-best 18 home runs, 12 doubles, a 23% strikeout rate and an 11.3% walk rate. He has plenty of power and solid-average exit velocities, but he swings-and-misses at a heavy clip and is a power-over-hit offensive profile at the next level. He works with an uphill bat path that’s intended to do damage and put balls in the air, but it also came with a 71% contact rate this spring and he swung-and-missed frequently on elevated fastball velocity. He’s a below-average defender at first, which only adds to the pressure on his offensive profile, as he’s already at the bottom of the defensive spectrum.
School: Washington Committed/Drafted: Pirates ’19 (18)
Age At Draft: 20.9
A long-limbed, 6-foot-4 slugger, Simpson generates power with plenty of leverage. He has led Washington in home runs in each of the past two seasons. His 11 home runs this year were the second most by a Huskies hitter since 2010. Simpson has plus raw power. He consistently hits hard line drives, which led to his .281/.355/.507 season. But there are concerns around Simpson’s bat. He rarely saw premium velocity this spring and he struggled when he did. And Simpson was only OK last summer in the Cape Cod League. His power diminished with a wood bat (he hit three home runs) but he did continue to get on base in a .235/.353/.365 summer. A lot will be expected of Simpson’s bat, as he is a righthanded-hitting first baseman who has played exclusively there. He’s a below-average runner.