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Athletics have a 52.5% Jacob Wilson problem amid poor start to 2026 originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The Athletics have one of the more exciting young lineups in all of Major League Baseball, but with such a young core, it's not surprising that there are some struggles.
Nick Kurtz doesn't look as good as he did last season thus far, but the most notable player struggling for the A's has been shortstop Jacob Wilson.
As @jayhaykid shared on Twitter/x, Wilson's struggles this season have led to a major problem with his offense. There is one number that highlights how bad things are going, and it's his 52.5% chase rate.
A's Jacob Wilson has a chase-rate problem
"No player in MLB has seen a larger year-over-year increase in his chase rate - swinging at pitches out of the zone - than Jacob Wilson: 32.1% in 2025, 52.5% in 2026," @jayhaykid shared.
This is a big issue for Wilson. The All-Star Athletics infielder was great last season, but in 2026, he's struggled a ton offensively.
While there are plenty of statistics that can explain how he's struggling, this chase-rate number, jumping over 50%, is a significant reason for his struggles.
More: Jacob DeGrom is only 149 strikeouts from 2,000 for his career
He hit .311 last season and is currently hitting just .237 in 2026. He's chasing more pitches than ever, and with his lackluster power, if he can't generate contact, his overall impact is going to be a net-negative for the A's.
Currently, through the first nine games of the season, Wilson has -0.2 bWAR with a 58 OPS+ and a brutal .553 OPS.
Wilson isn't the only A's hitter struggling to begin the season, but this metric - his chase rate - might be the most concerning among all of the Athletics' young hitters.
He signed a huge $70 million deal this offseason, and if he can't turn things around and start chasing less and making better contact, then the Athletics infielder is going to be a major issue all season long.
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