Preston Wilson

Preston James Richard Wilson is a center fielder/left fielder for the Washington Nationals. Born on July 19, 1974 in Bamberg, South Carolina, he is currently one of baseball's most aggressive hitters.

Related Topics:
Center fielder - Left fielder - Washington Nationals - July 19 - 1974 - Bamberg, South Carolina

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Preston is the nephew and stepson of former New York Mets star Mookie Wilson. He was destined to follow in his stepfather's footsteps when the Mets drafted him in the first round out of high school in 1992, at the tender age of 17. Wilson was a highly touted prospect that was ranked among the top 100 prospects by Baseball America 4 times between 1993 and 1998.

Related Topics:
New York Mets - Mookie Wilson - Baseball America

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Wilson reached the show in May of 1998, but just 2 weeks after joining the Mets, he was traded to the Florida Marlins with two other minor leaguers for Mike Piazza. Preston returned to the minor leagues for most of the season.

Related Topics:
Florida Marlins - Mike Piazza

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In 1999, he was the team's regular center fielder. He was the team leader in home runs and runs batted in as a rookie, and he finished second in NL Rookie of the Year balloting to Cincinnati Reds reliever Scott Williamson. The following season, Wilson joined the 30-30 club, slugging 31 home runs and stealing 36 bases. He added 121 RBI's, good for 8th in the National League. Wilson also proved to be a very free swinger, and he flirted with setting a record for most strikeouts by a batter in a season. His 187 strikeouts fell 2 shy of Bobby Bonds' record.

Related Topics:
Home run - Runs batted in - Cincinnati Reds - Scott Williamson - 30-30 club - Bobby Bonds

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Wilson his 23 home runs in each of the following two seasons, but his overall production tailed off slightly. At the end of the 2002 season, Preston was involved in a 6 player deal which sent him and three others to the Colorado Rockies for Juan Pierre and Mike Hampton. The change of scenery really helped Wilson in 2003, as he led the National League with 141 runs batted in. He belted 36 home runs, and he was named to the all-star team for his efforts.

Related Topics:
Colorado Rockies - Juan Pierre - Mike Hampton

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Wilson, however, was bothered by a knee injury in 2004, and was limited to 58 games. His power numbers were greatly affected as a result. Since joining the Nationals, he has become a core part of their lineup, and an important force in the outfield.

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On July 13, 2005, Wilson was traded to the Washington Nationals for P Zach Day and OF J.J. Davis.

Related Topics:
July 13 - 2005 - P - Zach Day - OF - J.J. Davis

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