Kenny Wilson

Organization Prospect Rankings

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  Ranked Toronto Blue Jays #22 prospect in 2014
  Wilson has developed at a slow pace but began to turn his tools into baseball skills in his fifth full pro season. He had a strong Arizona Fall League after a regular season shortened by a stress fracture and was added to the 40-man roster. Wilson is an electric athlete who is a plus center-field defender. A plus-plus runner, Wilson has a quick first step, gap-closing speed and plus range. While his arm was below-average as an amateur, it is now plus. Wilson, who switch-hit earlier in his career, is now hitting only righthanded, his natural side, and his bat has improved enough that he could be a fringe-average hitter with continued development. He has natural bat speed, and altering his hitting load and shortening his stride have helped him make more contact. Despite a high career walk rate, he has a naturally aggressive approach, has been prone to expanding the strike zone and has struggled with breaking stuff, though his pitch recognition has improved. Wilson has an athletic frame and is growing into strength that could allow him to hit 8-10 home runs a year. He has the glove to be a defense-first outfield reserve and could be an everyday center fielder if his bat continues to improve.
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  Ranked Toronto Blue Jays #28 prospect in 2010
  The Blue Jays signed Wilson away from a Florida commitment with a $644,000 bonus in 2008, and he immediately established himself as one of the best athletes and runners in the organization. If he doesn't do a better job of getting on base, though, he won't get the most out of his ability. Wilson began working on switch-hitting in instructional league after the 2008 season and gave it a try in games toward the end of 2009. He has a simple swing and can get down the line in less than 4.0 seconds on a swing from his natural right side, and Toronto wants to see what he may be capable of from the left side. He has good instincts on the bases and has stolen 65 bases in 146 pro games. Wilson never will hit for much power, but he can become a bigger threat at the plate if he improves his pitch recognition and plate discipline. He gets good jumps and has plus range in center field. His arm is average. Wilson missed six weeks with a hip injury last year, so he'll likely return to low Class A to get his feet under him at the start of 2010.
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  Ranked Toronto Blue Jays #21 prospect in 2009
  An exceptional runner and athlete, Wilson turned down a commitment to Florida to sign for $644,000 as a second-round pick last summer. He gets down the first-base line in 3.9-4.0 seconds on a full swing from the right side of the plate, and he can cut that time to 3.7 seconds on bunts. In fact, Gulf Coast League shortstops struggled to throw him out if the ball bounced more than once on the infield. Wilson uses his legs as a weapon on the basepaths, too, as he stole 25 bases in 28 attempts. His bat isn't nearly so refined, but he has a chance to develop a leadoff batter profile. He could become an above-average hitter, especially when considering infield and bunt hits, but he'll always have below-average power because he emphasizes hitting line drives and hard grounders. Wilson's pitch recognition has a long way to go, but he did finish second on his GCL team with 20 walks. No such concerns exist about his defense, as he's a plus defensive center fielder with an average arm. To get the most out of Wilson's speed and batting potential, the Blue Jays introduced him to switch-hitting during instructional league. He had toyed around with batting lefthanded in batting cages as an amateur, so Wilson was receptive to the plan, though it may dictate that he opens 2009 in extended spring training.