Drafted in the 2nd round (70th overall) by the St. Louis Cardinals in 2005 (signed for $515,000).
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Based on his standout performance at the Area Code Games last summer and at Whitehouse High this spring, Wilson was making a case to go in the first two rounds. He pitched at 91-93 mph and touched 94-95 with his fastball, and his curveball showed the makings of becoming a plus pitch. Wilson leveled off a little afterward, working at 88-90 mph and losing command of his curve. Now he appears to be a third- or fourth-rounder. Though Wilson isn't tall, he has long arms that create a good downward plane on his pitches. There's some effort to his delivery, but not to the point that scouts are overly concerned.
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Wilson was regarded as a potential first- or second-round pick coming off his Area Code Games performance in the summer of 2004. When his stuff dropped off a bit late last spring, he was seen as a third- or fourth-rounder. But Cardinals scouts always regarded him as a first-round talent, so they were happy to grab him with the second-rounder they received from the Giants for free agent Mike Matheny. Signed for $515,000, Wilson has long arms that generate good downward plane on his pitches, and his 90-92 mph fastball explodes out of his hand and shows good late movement. He already has good control of his two-seamer, which is unusual for a high school pitcher, though he needs to improve the command of all his pitches. His curveball has the potential to be an above-average pitch, but he needs to get more bite on it. He showed good aptitude for a changeup, which he rarely threw in high school, and made noticeable improvement with it over the spring and summer. He has some effort in his delivery, but not enough to create injury concerns. Wilson should make his full-season debut in low Class A this year.
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