The A's Early Defensive Leader Isn't Who You'd Expect

Not the name most expected, but he's been putting in the work to improve with the glove

Jul 19, 2025; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Athletics center fielder Denzel Clarke (1) makes a catch in the first inning against the Cleveland Guardians at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-Imagn Images | David Richard-Imagn Images

Denzel Clarke is arguably not only the best defensive player on the A's, but also in all of Major League Baseball. Yet after nine games this season he is not the player in green and gold atop the defensive leaderboards.

Instead, that honor belongs to shortstop Jacob Wilson, who has put up +3 outs above average, compared to the +1 provided by both Clarke and Lawrence Butler. That +3 also ranks him in the 99th percentile across all of baseball among all positions. Part of the reason for this is that his range has also increased from -2 to +2 year-over-year.

This is a huge development, given that Wilson finished with a -3 in the same stat last season, and that ranked him in the 22nd percentile. Plus, he plays a key position on the infield, and if the A's are have a solid glove at shortstop, their overall team defense will also take a big step forward.

Mark Kotsay on Wilson's defensive development

"Defensively, in terms of reaction distance is kind of what Statcast [gauges]. The way they formulate first step, really, and how much ground you get to cover. I think we've seen an improvement in that.

"Bobby [Crosby] has work really hard with Jacob and the whole group, with being able to anticipate, being able to read pitches in the zone. First step kind of mentality to make those improvements.

"For Jacob, in terms of overall speed, I still think he's not reached his physical abilities in terms of strength. Speed is a part of that strength that I think will increase."

In terms of the speed numbers, those are still largely where they were last season, sitting at 26.4 feet per second this season, which ranks in the 40th percentile. Last season he was at 27 feet per second, which ranked in the 39th percentile. Given that it's a pretty small sample size we're dealing with thus far, we'll hold off on definitively saying he's faster or slower than last season.

Given that the A's locked up Wilson to an extension after a second-place finish in the AL Rookie of the Year voting, it has to be nice for the organization to see him coming out to start the season with a clear new skillset to work with heading into the rest of the season.

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