| Preston Wilson | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Wilson with the Cardinals in 2007 | |||||||||||||||
| Center fielder | |||||||||||||||
| Born: (1974-07-19)July 19, 1974 (age 51) Bamberg, South Carolina, U.S. | |||||||||||||||
Batted: Right Threw: Right | |||||||||||||||
| MLB debut | |||||||||||||||
| May 7, 1998, for the New York Mets | |||||||||||||||
| Last MLB appearance | |||||||||||||||
| May 5, 2007, for the St. Louis Cardinals | |||||||||||||||
| MLB statistics | |||||||||||||||
| Batting average | .264 | ||||||||||||||
| Home runs | 189 | ||||||||||||||
| Runs batted in | 668 | ||||||||||||||
Stats atBaseball Reference  | |||||||||||||||
| Teams | |||||||||||||||
| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||||||||
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Medals
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Preston James Richard Wilson (born July 19, 1974) is an American former professionalbaseballcenter fielder and currently the manager of theFrederick Keys of theMLB Draft League. He played all or parts of ten seasons inMajor League Baseball (MLB) from 1998 to 2007 for theNew York Mets,Florida Marlins,Colorado Rockies,Washington Nationals,Houston Astros andSt. Louis Cardinals. He is both the nephew and stepson of formerNew York Mets outfielderMookie Wilson. (Mookie married Wilson's mother after his brother fathered Wilson.)[1]
At age 17, Wilson was drafted by the Mets out ofBamberg-Ehrhardt High School in the first round of the1992 MLB draft.[2] TheBaseball America 1992 High School Player of the Year,[3] Wilson was ranked among the top 100 prospects in baseball by the magazine four times between 1993 and 1998.[4] He was known to be an aggressive hitter, according to scouts and media sources, based on his propensity to swing at the first pitch and his high strikeout rates.[5][6]
After spending five seasons belowTriple A and a season in 1998 in theAustralian Baseball League with theHunter Eagles,[7] Wilson finally reached the majors in May 1998. Two weeks after joining the Mets, he was traded to theFlorida Marlins with two other minor leaguers forMike Piazza. He returned to the minor leagues for most of the season.
In 1999, Wilson was the Marlins' regular center fielder. Wilson led the team inhome runs andruns batted in as a rookie, and he finished second in the NLRookie of the Year balloting toCincinnati Reds relieverScott Williamson.
The following season, Wilson joined the30–30 club, slugging 31 home runs and stealing 36 bases. He added 121 RBIs, good for eighth in the National League. In 2000, he led the major leagues inpower-speed number (33.3).[8] Wilson also lived up to his reputation as a free swinger, nearly setting a new record for most strikeouts in a season. His total of 187 fell two shy ofBobby Bonds' record at the time.
Wilson hit 23 home runs in each of the following two seasons, though his overall production dipped, partially due to missed games.
After the 2002 season, Wilson was involved in a six-player deal which sent him and three other players to theColorado Rockies forJuan Pierre andMike Hampton. Wilson rebounded in 2003, when he set career highs with a .282 batting average, 43 doubles, and 36 home runs. He also led the National League with 141 runs batted in and was named to his first All-Star team.
Bothered by a knee injury in 2004, Wilson was limited to 58 games.
Wilson was acquired by theWashington Nationals in July 2005 forpitcherZach Day and outfielderJ. J. Davis. He led the team in homers and RBIs during the second half of the season, finishing with 25 and 90 respectively.[9]
In the 2005 offseason, Wilson signed a one-year deal worth $4 million with theHouston Astros, with a team option of three additional years at $24 million and a buyout of $500,000.[1] Previously acenter fielder, Wilson shifted toleft sinceWilly Taveras, the previous season'sRookie of the Year runner-up, was already occupying the position.[6]On April 17, 2006, Wilson set an Astros record by striking out five times in a single game. This tied theMLB record.[10] Despite early struggles, Wilson was batting .284 with 46 RBIs at the 2006 All-Star Break, with the potential for another 100+ RBI season. However, his power numbers were well below his previous years. Wilson was released by the Astros on August 15.[11]
TheSt. Louis Cardinals signed Wilson on August 18, 2006. The Cardinals took another chance on a discarded veteran since veteran center fielderJim Edmonds was out withpost concussion syndrome. Wilson was designated for assignment by Houston on Saturday, August 12, before ultimately being given his release. He joined his new team six days later and was immediately inserted into the starting lineup. Wilson batted sixth and played right field, withJuan Encarnación moving to center field. He made an instant impact for the Cardinals, hitting a home run in an 11–3 rout of theChicago Cubs on the 18th. The Cardinals went on to become World Champions, giving Wilson aWorld Series ring, as his stepfather Mookie had in 1986.[12]
The Cardinals re-signed Wilson for 2007, but he suffered a knee injury in early May and missed the rest of the 2007 season. After the end of the 2007 season Wilson was released. Wilson generated little interest during spring training 2008, leaving him a free agent.[13]
On February 14, 2009, Wilson announced his retirement from Major League Baseball.
On March 21, 2009, Preston was signed by theLong Island Ducks. He played under another formerNew York Mets player inGary Carter, who was the manager of the Ducks. Wilson played in 48 games for the Ducks, hitting .304 with 7 home runs, 37 RBI, a .344on-base percentage, and a .474slugging percentage. He did not return to the Ducks for the 2010 season, and was considering a comeback to the major leagues,[14] but never played professionally again.
Wilson spent several years as an analyst forFox Sports Florida's coverage of theMiami Marlins alongside former Marlins playersJeff Conine andCarl Pavano. In 2016, Wilson, along withEduardo Perez andAl Leiter, served as an analyst with play-by-play man Rich Waltz. This analyst rotation came about after the Marlins fired longtime analyst Tommy Hutton after the 2015 season. Also in 2016, when his Marlins schedule did not conflict, Wilson served as an analyst for MLB Network. Additionally, Wilson hosted "Marlins Clubhouse," a magazine-style TV show for Fox Sports Florida.[15]
Starting in the 2018 season, Wilson worked for the AT&T Sports Network covering the Houston Astros as a field reporter.
On April 15, 2025, theFrederick Keys of theMLB Draft League announced that Wilson would be their manager for the upcoming 2025 season.[16]
· Baseball Almanac| Preceded by | Sporting News NL Rookie of the Year 1999 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Players Choice NL Most Outstanding Rookie 1999 | Succeeded by Rafael Furcal |
