Peyton Wilson

Organization Prospect Rankings

• 
  Ranked Kansas City Royals #27 prospect in 2024
  BA Grade: 40/High
  
  Track Record: Wilson played two seasons at Alabama before the Royals selected him in 2021 in the supplemental second round as a draft-eligible sophomore. He signed for a bonus just over $1 million. He made it to Double-A northwest Arkansas in his third pro season, batting .286/.366/.411 while playing all but two games at second base. He finished the year with a strong performance in the Arizona Fall League.
  
  Scouting Report: Wilson plays with plenty of energy and twitch. He’s a plus runner who has the versatility to play multiple positions. His hit tool draws diverse opinions. More optimistic evaluators point toward the hard contact he generates from a compact swing despite his size. Others see the low-impact swing of a slap hitter who is overly aggressive at the plate. There’s no questioning Wilson’s speed. He averages right around 20 stolen bases a season. He’s a fringe-average defender at second base with an average arm, though his arm strength was down a bit from the previous season. His speed and arm should allow him to handle both outfield and third base in a utility role, but he played almost exclusively at second base in 2023.
  
  The Future: While Wilson played some outfield in the AFL, more time in the grass would be helpful if Wilson’s ultimate ceiling is a utility player. He is expected to move to Triple-A Omaha in 2024.
  
  Scouting Grades Hit: 45 | Power: 45 | Run: 60 | Field: 50 | Arm: 50
• 
  Ranked Kansas City Royals #25 prospect in 2023
  BA Grade/Risk: 40/High
  
  Track Record: The Wilson family has Crimson Tide blood running through it, with one of Peyton's brothers playing football at Alabama and another on the baseball team. He played two years at Alabama, and was selected in 2021 in the supplemental second round as a draft-eligible sophomore--signing for a bonus just over $1 million. After struggling at the plate in his limited pro debut, Wilson broke out in 2022 with a batting line of .268/.359/.456 at High-A Quad Cities. He came on especially strong in the second half after a hamstring issue delayed the start of his season.
  
  Scouting Report: Wilson just oozes twitchy athleticism and is a fundamentally sound player. He has good bat speed from both sides of the plate, and even when struggling he stayed consistent with his routine and the process. Wilson is slight of build and needs to continue gaining strength, but his 14 home runs show there's close to average power in the tank. An average defender with an above-average arm, he saw time at both second base and center field in 2022 and could handle the left side of the infield in a utility role. A plus runner, Wilson stole 23 bases in 25 attempts at Quad Cities.
  
  The Future: With Double-A being his next step, Wilson has the tools for a super utility role and just needs to gain strength and continue to develop the hit tool.
  
  Scouting Grades Hit: 45. Power: 45. Speed: 60. Fielding: 50. Arm: 55.

Draft Prospects

• Ranked #77 prospect in 2021 draft
  Wilson is part of an athletic family with strong ties to the Alabama program. Both his brothers played for the Crimson Tide—his brother John Parker played quarterback, while his brother Ross played baseball and was drafted by the White Sox in 2010. His brother-in-law, Will Lowery, also played football at Alabama. Wilson has a chance to be the second straight Alabama player drafted among the top three rounds, following Tyler Gentry in 2020. Wilson is a twitchy athlete, with at least plus running ability and plenty of defensive versatility. Those tools became even more exciting after a solid offensive season when he hit .290/.353/.460 with nine home runs, 13 doubles and 10 stolen bases through 58 games. Wilson has explosive hands that should allow him to be an average hitter from both sides and will also give him a chance to play either middle infield position, with the arm strength for shortstop or third base. He’s played center field and has caught for Alabama as well, and could become a super-utility type player who brings speed and average raw power to the table. A big league team could also let him try to settle in as an everyday player at a premium position like shortstop or catcher. While Wilson struck out at a modest rate (14%) this spring, he did show a tendency to expand the zone, particularly against breaking balls and offspeed offerings in the lower part of the zone.

• February, 2023 Scouting Report
  BA Grade/Risk: 40/High
  
  Track Record: The Wilson family has Crimson Tide blood running through it, with one of Peyton's brothers playing football at Alabama and another on the baseball team. He played two years at Alabama, and was selected in 2021 in the supplemental second round as a draft-eligible sophomore--signing for a bonus just over $1 million. After struggling at the plate in his limited pro debut, Wilson broke out in 2022 with a batting line of .268/.359/.456 at High-A Quad Cities. He came on especially strong in the second half after a hamstring issue delayed the start of his season.
  
  Scouting Report: Wilson just oozes twitchy athleticism and is a fundamentally sound player. He has good bat speed from both sides of the plate, and even when struggling he stayed consistent with his routine and the process. Wilson is slight of build and needs to continue gaining strength, but his 14 home runs show there's close to average power in the tank. An average defender with an above-average arm, he saw time at both second base and center field in 2022 and could handle the left side of the infield in a utility role. A plus runner, Wilson stole 23 bases in 25 attempts at Quad Cities.
  
  The Future: With Double-A being his next step, Wilson has the tools for a super utility role and just needs to gain strength and continue to develop the hit tool.
  
  Scouting Grades Hit: 45. Power: 45. Speed: 60. Fielding: 50. Arm: 55.
• December, 2022 Scouting Report
  BA Grade/Risk: 40/High
  
  Track Record: The Wilson family has Crimson Tide blood running through it, with one of Peyton's brothers playing football at Alabama and another on the baseball team. He played two years at Alabama, and was selected in 2021 in the supplemental second round as a draft-eligible sophomore--signing for a bonus just over $1 million. After struggling at the plate in his limited pro debut, Wilson broke out in 2022 with a batting line of .268/.359/.456 at High-A Quad Cities. He came on especially strong in the second half after a hamstring issue delayed the start of his season.
  
  Scouting Report: Wilson just oozes twitchy athleticism and is a fundamentally sound player. He has good bat speed from both sides of the plate, and even when struggling he stayed consistent with his routine and the process. Wilson is slight of build and needs to continue gaining strength, but his 14 home runs show there's close to average power in the tank. An average defender with an above-average arm, he saw time at both second base and center field in 2022 and could handle the left side of the infield in a utility role. A plus runner, Wilson stole 23 bases in 25 attempts at Quad Cities.
  
  The Future: With Double-A being his next step, Wilson has the tools for a super utility role and just needs to gain strength and continue to develop the hit tool.
  
  Scouting Grades Hit: 45. Power: 45. Speed: 60. Fielding: 50. Arm: 55.
• April, 2022 Scouting Report
  BA Grade: 40/High
  
  Midseason Update: Kansas City&#39s second-round pick from Alabama in 2021 projects as a super utility player capable of playing up the middle in both the infield and outfield, and perhaps even filling in behind the plate having had catching experience in his freshman year with the Crimson Tide. He&#39s got twitchy athleticism and plus speed, with average raw power from both sides of the plate.""
• July, 2021 Scouting Report
  Drafted in the supplemental second round, the Alabama outfielder has twitchy athleticism and explosive hands from both sides of the plate. At least a plus runner, Wilson is the type of player capable of playing multiple positions on the field, a trait that the Royals have frequently coveted.