Preston Wilson facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Preston Wilson |
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Wilson with the Cardinals in 2007
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| Center fielder | ||||||||||||||
| Born: July 19, 1974 Bamberg, South Carolina, U.S. |
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| debut | ||||||||||||||
| May 7, 1998, for the New York Mets | ||||||||||||||
| Last appearance | ||||||||||||||
| May 5, 2007, for the St. Louis Cardinals | ||||||||||||||
| MLB statistics | ||||||||||||||
| Batting average | .264 | |||||||||||||
| Home runs | 189 | |||||||||||||
| Runs batted in | 668 | |||||||||||||
| Teams | ||||||||||||||
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| Career highlights and awards | ||||||||||||||
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Medals
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Preston James Richard Wilson was born on July 19, 1974. He is an American former professional baseball player who played as a center fielder. He played for ten seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1998 to 2007. His teams included the New York Mets, Florida Marlins, Colorado Rockies, Washington Nationals, Houston Astros, and St. Louis Cardinals. Preston Wilson is also the nephew and stepson of former Mets star Mookie Wilson. Today, Preston Wilson is the manager of the Frederick Keys team in the MLB Draft League.
Preston Wilson's Baseball Journey
Starting with the New York Mets
Preston Wilson was drafted by the Mets in 1992 when he was just 17 years old. He was a top player at Bamberg-Ehrhardt High School. Baseball America magazine even named him the High School Player of the Year in 1992. Scouts knew him as a player who liked to swing hard and often.
After playing in the minor leagues for several years, Wilson finally made it to the major leagues in May 1998. Just two weeks later, he was traded to the Florida Marlins. This trade was part of a bigger deal that sent star player Mike Piazza to the Mets.
Playing for the Florida Marlins
In 1999, Wilson became the main center fielder for the Marlins. As a rookie, he led his team in home runs and runs batted in (RBIs). He finished second in the National League's Rookie of the Year voting.
The next year, in 2000, Wilson had an amazing season. He hit 31 home runs and stole 36 bases, joining the special 30–30 club. He also had 121 RBIs, which was one of the best totals in the National League. Wilson was known for swinging at many pitches, and he had a lot of strikeouts that season.
He continued to hit many home runs in 2001 and 2002, hitting 23 in each season.
Time with the Colorado Rockies
After the 2002 season, Wilson was traded to the Colorado Rockies. In 2003, he had one of his best years ever. He hit for a high .282 average, had 43 doubles, and blasted 36 home runs. He also led the National League with 141 RBIs. Because of his great performance, he was chosen for his first All-Star team.
In 2004, a knee injury limited him to playing in only 58 games.
Joining the Washington Nationals
In July 2005, Wilson was traded to the Washington Nationals. He quickly became a key player for them. In the second half of that season, he led the team in home runs and RBIs. He finished the year with 25 home runs and 90 RBIs.
With the Houston Astros
Before the 2006 season, Wilson signed a contract with the Houston Astros. He usually played center field, but with the Astros, he moved to left field. On April 17, 2006, Wilson struck out five times in one game, which tied an MLB record. Even though he had some tough games, he was still hitting well and getting RBIs. However, his home run numbers were lower than in previous years. The Astros released him in August.
Winning with the St. Louis Cardinals
The St. Louis Cardinals signed Wilson on August 18, 2006. The Cardinals needed an outfielder because their star player, Jim Edmonds, was injured. Wilson immediately joined the team and made an impact. He hit a home run in his first game with the Cardinals. That year, the Cardinals went on to win the World Series, giving Preston Wilson a championship ring. This was special because his stepfather, Mookie Wilson, also won a World Series in 1986.
The Cardinals signed Wilson again for the 2007 season. However, he got a knee injury early in May and missed the rest of the year. After the 2007 season, the Cardinals released him. Preston Wilson officially announced his retirement from Major League Baseball on February 14, 2009.
Playing for the Long Island Ducks
In March 2009, Preston Wilson signed with the Long Island Ducks, a team in an independent league. He played for manager Gary Carter, who was also a former Mets player. Wilson played in 48 games for the Ducks, hitting well with 7 home runs and 37 RBIs. He did not return to the Ducks after that season and never played professional baseball again.
After Playing Baseball
Working in Broadcasting
After his playing career, Preston Wilson became a baseball analyst. He worked for Fox Sports Florida, covering the Miami Marlins games. He also worked for MLB Network, talking about baseball. Wilson also hosted a TV show called "Marlins Clubhouse."
Later, starting in 2018, Wilson worked for AT&T Sports Network. He was a field reporter covering the Houston Astros.
Coaching Career
On April 15, 2025, the Frederick Keys team in the MLB Draft League announced that Preston Wilson would be their manager for the upcoming 2025 season.
More About Baseball
- 30–30 club
- List of Major League Baseball annual runs batted in leaders
- List of second-generation Major League Baseball players
