Leo De Vries vs. Jacob Wilson: Who Will Be the Athletics Long-Term Shortstop?
The Athletics appear well‑positioned for long‑term success as their relocation to Las Vegas continues.
The former Oakland team has been a young and exciting team for the past two seasons, with help from the likes of first baseman Nick Kurtz, catcher Shea Langeliers and shortstop Jacob Wilson.
Speaking of Jacob Wilson, he has been a phenomenal addition to the Athletics. He was drafted by the A's in the first round of the 2023 MLB Draft and has been the major league team's starting shortstop since 2025.
Wilson had a rookie season for the ages which saw him battle until the end against his teammate Kurtz for the Rookie of the Year Award, which he inevitably lost out on.
But it was not for lack of trying! In his first full big league season, the 24-year-old slashed .311/.355/.444, good for a .799 OPS, with 13 home runs, 63 RBIs and 151 hits in 125 games. Wilson's approach at the plate is comparable to one of the games best contact hitters in Luis Arráez.
He has not gotten off to the greatest start offensively in 2026, posting a .696 OPS through 45 games, but his defense has taken a huge step. According to Baseball Savant, Wilson has a Fielding Run Value of five which ranks in the 90th percentile.
While Wilson's tenure on the team may not be in jeopardy, his position might be.
In the Athletics farm system lies the No. 2 prospect in all of baseball, shortstop Leo De Vries. The A's acquired De Vries from the San Diego Padres at the 2025 deadline during the Mason Miller blockbuster.
While giving up one of the game's best closers, they added a superstar in the making. The 19-year-old currently resides in Double-A, but according to MLB.com, his ETA for the big league is 2026.
The switch-hitting shortstop is tearing it up in Double-A thus far, he is slashing .288/.380/.428/.808 with eight home runs, 25 RBIs and 66 hits in 59 games. In June, he is hitting to a .316 average with a .955 OPS.
.316 AVG
— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) June 19, 2026
.955 OPS
19-year-old Leo De Vries (#Athletics) has been one of the best hitters at Double-A during June: https://t.co/Rqtsqi1uPGpic.twitter.com/a9yncbJkoL
With De Vries rising quickly, it begs the question about how the Athletics will go about playing their two young shortstops?
De Vries will probably not arrive until late into the 2026 season, potentially joining the team for a late playoff push.
The clearest solution would be to slide Wilson over to second place, where he had experience playing during college. Especially with the A's current second baseman Jeff McNeil struggling heavily.
Both De Vries and Wilson are extremely athletic, so the A's will have a lot of options on how to handle them, with the best talent most likely keeping the shortstop position.
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This story was originally published June 19, 2026 at 2:02 PM.