Jacob Wilson has a breakout season in 2025 and finished the year with the second highest batting average in MLB (.311). He had this success with a profile that differs greatly from the most popular hitters in the game.
Unlike them, Wilson does not rely on power. In fact, he had the lowest average exit velocity in MLB among qualified hitters (84.6 mph) and the third lowest hard-hit rate (25%).
How is Wilson so successful with below average power?
Elite Contact
Wilson’s success starts with his bat to ball ability.
He had a 8% strikeout rate (2nd lowest in MLB) and 92% zone contact rate (5th in MLB) in 2025.
He rarely swings and misses against all pitch types.
| Pitch Type | Whiff Rate |
| Fastballs | 7% |
| Breaking | 14% |
| Off-speed | 12% |
Data from Baseball Savant
He is still able to make contact even when pitchers have the advantage in the count:
| Pitch Type | Whiff Rate (Behind in the Count) |
| Fastballs | 8% |
| Breaking | 20% |
| Off-speed | 11% |
Data from Baseball Savant
Since he strikes out so rarely, he is putting the ball in play more than MLB average. He has more opportunities to get on base, which allows him to maintain a high batting average over the course of the season.
Batted Ball Profile
Another reason for Wilson’s success us his ability to use the whole field. He also has low pull tendencies.
He pulls ground balls 20% of the time and pulls balls in the air only 14% of the time. This low pull approach is harder to defend against.
Wilson’s .317 BABIP is slightly higher than MLB average, but not enough to dismiss his success. His batted ball profile indicates that his ability to use the whole field is not luck driven.
Seeing Pitches he Can Hit
Pitchers are consistently challenging Wilson.
They throw in zone against Wilson 3% more than average. He’s also seeing a higher percentage of fastballs (62%) compared to average, including first pitch (66%).
This plan of attack is very telling in terms of how opponents view Wilson. Since he does not hit the ball hard consistently, pitchers are not afraid to throw strikes and bet that when he makes contact it will not result in significant damage.
However, this approach is actually providing Wilson more opportunities to make contact since he is seeing more pitches (especially fastballs) in zone.
Potential Risks of this Profile
While Wilson was successful with this profile in 2025, there are some risks associated with it.
The biggest question is how pitchers will continue to attack him. Pitchers might start to throw fewer fastballs and expand the zone against Wilson, giving him fewer pitches to hit.
An adjustment to this might be difficult for Wilson. He’s shown that he will expand the zone (chase rate that is 4% higher than MLB average), and that he has below average swing decisions (5% walk rate).
Wilson’s batted ball profile also presents risk. He has a high 53% ground ball rate and below average speed. Without strong contact quality or above average speed, weak ground balls could turn into outs if he cannot continue to get them through the infield.
How is Wilson So Successful?
Wilson is so successful because of his contact ability, low pull tendencies, and how he’s being pitched.
While hitters with power are typically prioritized, Wilson is proving that there are other ways a hitter can put the ball in play and have strong results. Whether he can maintain this level of success will depend on whether pitchers adjust and if he can continue getting the ball through the infield.