Ethan Wilson

Organization Prospect Rankings

• 
  Ranked Philadelphia Phillies #9 prospect in 2023
  BA Grade/Risk: 45/High
  
  Track Record: Wilson had an impressive collegiate career at South Alabama, earning freshman All-America honors in 2019 and posting a .947 OPS in 2021. He was considered one of the top collegiate hitters in 2021, and the Phillies nabbed him in the second round with the 49th overall pick. He struggled in his pro debut with Low-A Clearwater following the draft and turned in a disappointing 2022 season between High-A Jersey Shore and Double-A Reading.
  
  Scouting Report: Wilson was drafted as a bat-first outfielder with a strong ability to control the zone and an above-average hit tool, but his tools took a step back during his first full season. He was plagued by poor swing decisions and chased too much to go with a high groundball rate. The organization worked with him to understand the zone better, find the right pitches to swing at and drive the ball more, and those are areas he'll need to continue to work on in 2023. Wilson has good bat-to-ball skills, but his tendency to swing at bad pitches causes him to make weak contact. He has plus raw power, with impressive max exit velocities, but struggles to access it due to his flat bat path and compact swing, leading to an average exit velocity near 86 mph. If Wilson is able to get better timing at the plate and more load in his setup, it should lead to better power production. Wilson is a solid athlete and an average runner underway, and his strong baserunning skills led to 26 stolen bases in 2022. He's an average defender in right field with an average arm.
  
  The Future: The 2023 season could very well be a make-or-break year for Wilson. If he's able to make adjustments to his approach and bat path to access his power, he profiles as a second-division regular. He'll likely start the season back at Double-A Reading.
  
  Scouting Grades: Hitting: 45. Power: 55. Speed: 50. Fielding: 50. Arm: 50.
• 
  Ranked Philadelphia Phillies #5 prospect in 2022
  Track Record: An under-the-radar prospect coming out of the Alabama prep ranks, Wilson had an excellent three-year career at South Alabama, earning freshman All-America honors in 2019 and fighting through a slow start in 2021 to finish with a .318/.419/.528 slash line with 25 extra-base hits. The Phillies were drawn to Wilson’s hitting ability and power, snatching him up in the second round.
  
  Scouting Report: Wilson skipped Rookie ball and started his pro career at Low-A, where he struggled to a .215/.282/.374 mark. The Phillies were still pleased with what they saw from the corner outfielder. Wilson drew praise in his pro debut for the quality of his at-bats, impressive bat speed, ability to impact the ball and solid defense all over the outfield. The lefthanded hitter has plus power with an all-fields approach out of a 6-foot-1, 210-pound frame to make him the top hitter in the organization with the potential for 25-30 homers and a .270 average in the big leagues. Wilson showed an uncharacteristically high swing-and-miss rate after entering pro ball, and he spent his time at instructional league working to make more contact, control the strike zone and clean up his swing path. Wilson is a below-average runner and a solid-average defender without much arm strength, meaning he’ll likely end up in left field.
  
  The Future: The organization believes Wilson’s combination of hitting ability and power will allow him to move through the system quickly. He’ll likely start the 2022 season at a Class A level, but if he hits he won’t be there for long.

Draft Prospects

• Ranked #26 prospect in 2021 draft
  South Alabama has done a solid job turning unheralded high school recruits into top-of-the-draft talents in recent years, with Travis Swaggerty selected 10th in the 2018 draft and Wilson poised to sneak into the first round this year. Teams weren’t on Wilson heavily out of Andalusia (Ala.) High, but they took note when he hit .345/.453/.686 with 17 home runs and made the freshman All-America first team in 2019. Wilson had a bit of a slow start to the 2021 season and has dealt with an ankle injury that has hampered him. He didn’t homer until his 14th game of the season and through his first 13 games was hitting just over .200. However, his second half was impressive, and he managed a .319/.430/.550 line with eight homers and more walks (33) than strikeouts (20). As evidenced by those walk and strikeout numbers, Wilson controls the zone well and also has a solid all-fields approach, with the power to drive pitches on the outer half over the fence to the left-center gap. Some scouts think his swing is a bit too stiff to truly be a plus hitter, but he does have plus raw power. Those offensive tools are the carrying tools for Wilson, who profiles as a left fielder thanks to limited arm strength and below-average running ability—though he did steal nine bags in 13 attempts this spring. Wilson is in a bit of a tough position with that profile, as he didn’t have a chance last summer to play in the Cape Cod League or with Team USA, where he could have proven his bat in an environment that would give teams more confidence in their projections. Teams that bake track records heavily into their draft models could be more hesitant to take Wilson, but in a draft class light on college bats, he stands out for his hitting ability, power potential and on-base skills.

• February, 2023 Scouting Report
  BA Grade/Risk: 45/High
  
  Track Record: Wilson had an impressive collegiate career at South Alabama, earning freshman All-America honors in 2019 and posting a .947 OPS in 2021. He was considered one of the top collegiate hitters in 2021, and the Phillies nabbed him in the second round with the 49th overall pick. He struggled in his pro debut with Low-A Clearwater following the draft and turned in a disappointing 2022 season between High-A Jersey Shore and Double-A Reading.
  
  Scouting Report: Wilson was drafted as a bat-first outfielder with a strong ability to control the zone and an above-average hit tool, but his tools took a step back during his first full season. He was plagued by poor swing decisions and chased too much to go with a high groundball rate. The organization worked with him to understand the zone better, find the right pitches to swing at and drive the ball more, and those are areas he'll need to continue to work on in 2023. Wilson has good bat-to-ball skills, but his tendency to swing at bad pitches causes him to make weak contact. He has plus raw power, with impressive max exit velocities, but struggles to access it due to his flat bat path and compact swing, leading to an average exit velocity near 86 mph. If Wilson is able to get better timing at the plate and more load in his setup, it should lead to better power production. Wilson is a solid athlete and an average runner underway, and his strong baserunning skills led to 26 stolen bases in 2022. He's an average defender in right field with an average arm.
  
  The Future: The 2023 season could very well be a make-or-break year for Wilson. If he's able to make adjustments to his approach and bat path to access his power, he profiles as a second-division regular. He'll likely start the season back at Double-A Reading.
  
  Scouting Grades: Hitting: 45. Power: 55. Speed: 50. Fielding: 50. Arm: 50.
• December, 2022 Scouting Report
  BA Grade/Risk: 45/High
  
  Track Record: Wilson had an impressive collegiate career at South Alabama, earning freshman All-America honors in 2019 and posting a .947 OPS in 2021. He was considered one of the top collegiate hitters in 2021, and the Phillies nabbed him in the second round with the 49th overall pick. He struggled in his pro debut with Low-A Clearwater following the draft and turned in a disappointing 2022 season between High-A Jersey Shore and Double-A Reading.
  
  Scouting Report: Wilson was drafted as a bat-first outfielder with a strong ability to control the zone and an above-average hit tool, but his tools took a step back during his first full season. He was plagued by poor swing decisions and chased too much to go with a high groundball rate. The organization worked with him to understand the zone better, find the right pitches to swing at and drive the ball more, and those are areas he'll need to continue to work on in 2023. Wilson has good bat-to-ball skills, but his tendency to swing at bad pitches causes him to make weak contact. He has plus raw power, with impressive max exit velocities, but struggles to access it due to his flat bat path and compact swing, leading to an average exit velocity near 86 mph. If Wilson is able to get better timing at the plate and more load in his setup, it should lead to better power production. Wilson is a solid athlete and an average runner underway, and his strong baserunning skills led to 26 stolen bases in 2022. He's an average defender in right field with an average arm.
  
  The Future: The 2023 season could very well be a make-or-break year for Wilson. If he's able to make adjustments to his approach and bat path to access his power, he profiles as a second-division regular. He'll likely start the season back at Double-A Reading.
  
  Scouting Grades: Hitting: 45. Power: 55. Speed: 50. Fielding: 50. Arm: 50.
• April, 2022 Scouting Report
  BA Grade: 50/High
  
  Track Record: An under-the-radar prospect coming out of the Alabama prep ranks, Wilson had an excellent three-year career at South Alabama, earning freshman All-America honors in 2019 and fighting through a slow start in 2021 to finish with a .318/.419/.528 slash line with 25 extra-base hits. The Phillies were drawn to Wilson&#39s hitting ability and power, snatching him up in the second round.
  
  Scouting Report: Wilson skipped Rookie ball and started his pro career at Low-A, where he struggled to a .215/.282/.374 mark. The Phillies were still pleased with what they saw from the corner outfielder. Wilson drew praise in his pro debut for the quality of his at-bats, impressive bat speed, ability to impact the ball and solid defense all over the outfield. The lefthanded hitter has plus power with an all-fields approach out of a 6-foot-1, 210-pound frame to make him the top hitter in the organization with the potential for 25-30 homers and a .270 average in the big leagues. Wilson showed an uncharacteristically high swing-and-miss rate after entering pro ball, and he spent his time at instructional league working to make more contact, control the strike zone and clean up his swing path. Wilson is a below-average runner and a solid-average defender without much arm strength, meaning he&#39ll likely end up in left field.
  
  The Future: The organization believes Wilson&#39s combination of hitting ability and power will allow him to move through the system quickly. He&#39ll likely start the 2022 season at a Class A level, but if he hits he won&#39t be there for long.
  
  Scouting Grades:
  Hit: 55. Power: 60. Speed: 40. Fielding: 45. Arm: 45.
• December, 2021 Scouting Report
  Track Record: An under-the-radar prospect coming out of the Alabama prep ranks, Wilson had an excellent three-year career at South Alabama, earning freshman All-America honors in 2019 and fighting through a slow start in 2021 to finish with a .318/.419/.528 slash line with 25 extra-base hits. The Phillies were drawn to Wilson’s hitting ability and power, snatching him up in the second round.
  
  Scouting Report: Wilson skipped Rookie ball and started his pro career at Low-A, where he struggled to a .215/.282/.374 mark. The Phillies were still pleased with what they saw from the corner outfielder. Wilson drew praise in his pro debut for the quality of his at-bats, impressive bat speed, ability to impact the ball and solid defense all over the outfield. The lefthanded hitter has plus power with an all-fields approach out of a 6-foot-1, 210-pound frame to make him the top hitter in the organization with the potential for 25-30 homers and a .270 average in the big leagues. Wilson showed an uncharacteristically high swing-and-miss rate after entering pro ball, and he spent his time at instructional league working to make more contact, control the strike zone and clean up his swing path. Wilson is a below-average runner and a solid-average defender without much arm strength, meaning he’ll likely end up in left field.
  
  The Future: The organization believes Wilson’s combination of hitting ability and power will allow him to move through the system quickly. He’ll likely start the 2022 season at a Class A level, but if he hits he won’t be there for long.
• July, 2021 Scouting Report
  South Alabama has done a solid job turning unheralded high school recruits into top-of-the-draft talents in recent years, with Travis Swaggerty selected 10th in the 2018 draft and Wilson poised to sneak into the first round this year. Teams weren't on Wilson heavily out of Andalusia (Ala.) High, but they took note when he hit .345/.453/.686 with 17 home runs and made the freshman All-America first team in 2019. Wilson had a bit of a slow start to the 2021 season and has dealt with an ankle injury that has hampered him. He didn't homer until his 14th game of the season and through his first 13 games was hitting just over .200. However, his second half was impressive, and he managed a .319/.430/.550 line with eight homers and more walks (33) than strikeouts (20). As evidenced by those walk and strikeout numbers, Wilson controls the zone well and also has a solid all-fields approach, with the power to drive pitches on the outer half over the fence to the left-center gap. Some scouts think his swing is a bit too stiff to truly be a plus hitter, but he does have plus raw power. Those offensive tools are the carrying tools for Wilson, who profiles as a left fielder thanks to limited arm strength and below-average running ability—though he did steal nine bags in 13 attempts this spring. Wilson is in a bit of a tough position with that profile, as he didn't have a chance last summer to play in the Cape Cod League or with Team USA, where he could have proven his bat in an environment that would give teams more confidence in their projections. Teams that bake track records heavily into their draft models could be more hesitant to take Wilson, but in a draft class light on college bats, he stands out for his hitting ability, power potential and on-base skills.