Cody Wilson (baseball)

Cody Roger George Wilson (born July 4, 1996) is an American professional baseball outfielder in the Washington Nationals organization. He made his Major League Baseball (MLB) debut in 2021.

Wilson played junior college baseball for the Palm Beach State College Panthers from 2016–2017. In 2018, Wilson went on to Florida Atlantic University and played college baseball for the Florida Atlantic Owls. The Washington Nationals selected Wilson in the 13th round of the 2018 Major League Baseball draft.

Amateur career
A resident of Jupiter, Florida, Wilson attended Jupiter Community High School, where he was a standout athlete who played baseball, basketball, and football. During his baseball career at Jupiter Community High School playing under coach Andy Mook, Wilson was named First Team All-Conference and Florida Region All-American Honorable Mention in 2015. Wilson finished at Jupiter Community High School with a .380 batting average, moving on to attend Palm Beach State College.

He played junior college baseball for the Palm Beach State College Panthers under coach Kyle Forbes from 2016–2017. Wilson ended his freshman campaign with a .323 batting average, earning himself MVP of the 2016 Palm Beach State. He appeared in just eight games as a sophomore after incurring a clavicle injury, where he was hitting .320 with a home run and seven RBI. Wilson held team bests of five home runs, 34 RBI, 34 runs scored, a .479 slugging percentage, 9 doubles, 3 triples, and was 11-of-12 stolen bases.

In 2018, Wilson went on to Florida Atlantic University and played college baseball for the Florida Atlantic Owls. Wilson led FAU with 14 home runs, and on the strength of a phenomenal postseason, raised his average to a season-high .285 following the finale with his only season with the team. Wilson had 71 hits, 12 doubles, 2 triples, 41 RBI, 49 runs scored, and was Florida Atlantic University's top base-stealer with 19-of-21 stolen bases. In the NCAA Regional, Wilson earned himself an All-Tournament nod batting a team-best of .500 with a double, a triple, and 2 home-runs with an inside-the-park run due to his speed. He also had four stolen bases and scored 5 runs with 6 runs batted in. His on-base-percentage in Gainesville was .577 and he slugged .909. Against Conference USA opponents, Wilson batted .300 with 9 of his 12 regular season homeruns and 20 RBI. Against Western Kentucky University, Wilson scored 4 runs to match the team's highest, earning FAU a win. From March 25-April 28, Wilson tied for the team's second longest hitting steak of the year.

Professional career
The Washington Nationals selected Wilson in the 13th round of the 2018 Major League Baseball draft.

Known for his speed, Wilson stole 22 bases in his first full professional season, playing for the Class-A Hagerstown Suns in 2019. In 2021, Wilson was invited to participate in his first spring training as a member of major league camp. Wilson was one of the minor league players brought to Nationals Park for a full-team workout the day before the Nationals' scheduled season opener, after a COVID-19 outbreak in the clubhouse led to the first four games of the season being postponed for the Nationals and landed nearly a dozen Washington players in quarantine. On April 6, Wilson was selected to the active roster. He made his major league debut the next day, pinch-hitting for pitcher Kyle McGowin against Josh Tomlin and flying out to center.

On April 9, 2021, Wilson was removed from the 40-man roster.

Personal life
Wilson was born in West Palm Beach, Florida, on July 4, 1996. His hometown is Jupiter, Florida. He is son to Eric Wilson and Johanna Wilson. He met his future wife, Taylor Selman, in 7th grade. Wilson and Selman married in December 2021 at The Pelican Club in Jupiter, Florida, featured on the cover of the Winter 2023 Inside Weddings Magazine.