Bobby Wilson

Robert Louis Wilson

• Bats Right, Throws Right
• Height 6' 0", Weight 205-220 lb.
• School St. Petersburg Community College
• High School Seminole (FL) High School
• Debut April 28, 2008
• Last Game July 27, 2019
• Born April 8, 1983 in Dunedin, FL USA

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Biographical Information

Catcher Bobby Wilson was drafted by the San Francisco Giants in the 26th round of the 2001 amateur draft. After a year of junior college, he was selected by the Anaheim Angels in the 48th round of the 2002 amateur draft and signed by scout Tom Kotchman. In 2003, he began his professional career with the Provo Angels and hit .284/.329/.411. Battling a wrist injury, he was voted the 4th-best prospect in the Pioneer League, led the league in RBI (62), double plays grounded into (11) and fielding percentage by a catcher (.985). With the 2004 Cedar Rapids Kernels, Wilson hit .268/.320/.386. Moved up to the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes in 2005, he batted .290/.333/.453 with 32 doubles, 14 homers and 77 RBI. His 104 assists led the California League's catchers.

Wilson hit .286/.350/.428 for the 2006 Arkansas Travelers, .329 against southpaws. He led Texas League backstops with 63 assists but tied for the lead with 9 errors. In 2007, he played for Arkansas again, batting .271/.348/.420 in 50 games with a .345 clip against left-handers. Promoted to the Salt Lake Bees, he batted .295/.336/.477, with a surprising change in splits; .171 against lefties and .352 against righties.

Wilson started 2008 with the Salt Lake Bees and hit .339/.414/.435 in 16 games; when Jeff Mathis was sidelined by the flu, Wilson was called up to the majors. He debuted as a defensive substitute for Mike Napoli and singled against Dallas Braden in his first big-league at-bat.

Wilson retired after the 2019 season and was scheduled to be the manager of the Frisco RoughRiders in 2020 before the season was cancelled due to COVID-19. In 2021, Wilson was named catching coach of the Texas Rangers and he coordinates the minor league catching program. He continued as the Rangers catching coach through the 2023 season.

Sources: 2003-2008 Baseball Almanacs