Will Wilson selected by the Los Angeles Angels with 15th overall pick in 2019 MLB Draft

With the 15th pick in the 2019 MLB First Year Player Draft, the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim selected NC State junior shortstop Will Wilson.

A snippet about Wilson from the MLB.com Draft Tracker:

For the second time in five years, North Carolina State could have a shortstop selected in the first round. Wilson isn’t as tooled up as Trea Turner or the other top shortstops in a deep college crop, but he has a high floor as a steady up-the-middle defender with surprising power. He was one of four players to hit 10 or more homers in Atlantic Coast Conference games in 2018, joining Giants No. 2 overall pick Joey Bart, Astros first-rounder Seth Beer and Blue Jays second-rounder Griffin Conine. Though he’s not physically imposing, Wilson has quick hands and deceptive strength that give him at least above-average raw power. A right-handed hitter, he has a knack for putting the barrel on the ball. He shows the ability to hit for average and power, and he has done a better job of drawing walks this spring despite his aggressive approach. The biggest knock on Wilson is his below-average speed. Most big league shortstops run better than that, though some scouts think he can stay at the position because he has quick actions and hands. Others believe his speed and average arm will land him at second base, where he played as a freshman and still would profile well offensively.

Wilson led the NC State offense this year to the tune of a .335/.425/.661 slash line with with a team-leading 20 doubles and 16 home runs. He scored 55 runs and drove in 57 while being named 1st Team All-ACC and 2nd Team All-American. No slouch in the field, he was also named the ACC Defensive Player-of-the-Year.

With the pick, NC State has now had eight players selected in the first round of the draft in school history, with five of those eight coming since 2005.