Former Washington Huskies star Will Simpson has done nothing but hit since beginning his professional career, picking up right where he left off after leaving Montlake. He batted .335 with 18 home runs during his final year in Seattle before being selected in round No. 15 by the Oakland Athletics, where he continued to hit.
After posting a .322 in Low-A to end 2023, he was promoted to Oakland’s High-A affiliate, the Lansing Lugnuts to begin the 2024 season. Through the club’s first 42 games, he holds a .299 batting average and a .926 OPS thanks to his team-high 34 walks and 19 extra-base hits, 4 of which are home runs.
Simpson also has 32 runs batted in and has impressed Oakland’s front office with his athleticism and defensive versatility, playing first and third base this year.
“He understands the game,” A’s director of player development Ed Sprague told MLB.com’s Martin Gallegos. “The new ways of analytics and everything about how to approach it. How pitchers attack hitters based on the stuff they do. He’s really advanced in that aspect of it. He’s a pretty solid defender at first in spite of his size. We’re excited to have him.”
As he continues to hit, some members of Oakland’s coaching staff have even compared him to former MLB All-Star Garrett Cooper.
“Will has been a revelation in the Midwest League,” A’s assistant general manager Billy Owens told Gallegos. “He’s a big man with underrated athleticism. He barrels baseballs with real power.”
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— Washington Baseball (@UW_Baseball) June 2, 2024