CATCHING UP: Former NC State Baseball Star Will Wilson

After toiling in the minor leagues for several years and within three organizations, Will Wilson is now a Major Leaguer.

Wilson, the former NC State infielder affectionately known as “The Mayor of Kings Mountain” while with the Wolfpack, made his debut with the Cleveland Guardians on April 23, 2025, and singled in the ninth inning against the New York Yankees. 

For its “Catching Up” series, Rob McLamb of Inside Pack Sports recently traveled to Cleveland and spoke with Wilson and Guardians manager Stephen Vogt to gain insight into the journey to the Majors and how proud Wilson is of his Wolfpack ties. 

Inside Pack Sports: When did baseball become a thing in your life? 

Wilson: I was probably about eight years old when it got serious. I played tee-ball at three years old and up, but I was about eight years old. My grandpa played. He went to college, and then he ended up playing a little bit with the Senators, but never made it up (to the Majors). It was something that has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember.

Inside Pack Sports: How is baseball in Kings Mountain? 

Wilson: It is good. It has taken off. They had some good teams before I got there, won a state championship, and then, when I was there, we made it to the third round, I want to say. And then ever since they have put out some good pro products, like player-wise and with travel ball -- especially everyone that goes to Charlotte -- so it is getting bigger and bigger now.

Inside Pack Sports: Do you get home often? 

Wilson: We (Wilson’s family) live not too far away in Belmont, so we are not too far away from King’s.

Inside Pack Sports: When did schools start to notice and recruit you for baseball? 

Wilson: I was a little later than most, honestly. NC State and UNC were the only Power Fives that recruited me. Campbell came through, and Liberty was the other one involved. It was probably my junior year, early junior year, when everything started happening for me in high school.

Inside Pack Sports: When did you decide NC State was the place for you? 

Wilson: When I went on my first visit. They took me to a football game. It just felt like home from the beginning.

Inside Pack Sports: What stood out to you about the baseball program at NC State? Has playing at NCSU prepared you for a professional baseball career? 

Wilson: I think it is a well-run program. It is very pro ball-centered. The way we get our work in, the way they play the game, is not typical for colleges. They do not always put down the sac (sacrifice) unless it is needed in situations, but we practice things, and they usually go out and compete like the way hard and a run that place has been very pro ball.

Inside Pack Sports: After you were drafted, the path you took to become a Major Leaguer was unconventional and probably longer than you anticipated. What was that experience like? 

Wilson: When the draft happens, you want to make it up here as quickly as you can, but it gave me a sense of appreciation for the game. Coming up here and seeing it after grinding my time through the minors. It has put things into perspective, but it has been a blessing.

People look back on it, and you are going to learn certain things from all the different things you go through. I just feel blessed. God put me in this situation for a reason, and that is something I have come to realize.

Inside Pack Sports: How surprised were you to be selected away from the San Francisco Giants organization by Cleveland? 

Wilson: Honestly, I did not expect to be taken in the Rule Five Draft. I did not know much about the Rule Five Draft before. I had been protected on the AAA roster (previously), but the Giants left me open. Cleveland took me, I knew some people over here already, in the system and the staff, and it felt like home when I got here as well.

Inside Pack Sports: What stands out to you about the experience in Cleveland so far? 

Wilson: I think just the people, the way they play baseball. It reminds me of NC State, honestly. It is hard nose. It is grind, it is blue collar, and we win baseball games. That is awesome. I have been here a few weeks now, and it is nothing short of great. We are figuring it out. We are clicking right now. We are figuring out ways to win, and that is the name of the game.

Inside Pack Sports: Cleveland has a vibrant downtown and nice suburbs. Have you enjoyed being in the area? 

Wilson: Having been able to get out a little bit, I took the family out when we first got called up, and I was able to walk around. My wife loves coffee shops, so that is our big thing around the city.

Inside Pack Sports: Wow, your wife is already up here with you. That must be stabilizing for you as you begin your Major League journey. 

Wilson: It is. She stayed home for a little bit, bounced around. Her family lives near Raleigh. She bounces back and forth a little bit, but she's been up here the whole time.

Inside Pack Sports: And what about the organization itself? How have the Guardians treated you? 

Wilson: It is tremendous. They let me be myself. They let me play ball, and there is some fine-tuning. You are never satisfied in this game. No one is perfect, but I see this as being home, where I am in pursuit of the future. Just going out and being a grinding player. It is great here. They are known for developing players, and it shows.

Inside Pack Sports: If you had to advise young high school players that were considering whether to pursue the dream of reaching the Majors, what would you say to them? 

Wilson: Just never give up. There's going to be roadblocks, but you just have to keep being yourself. Keep pursuing, you know, hard work is, is the way to it.

Inside Pack Sports: And if NC State was recruiting a young kid to play baseball, would you advise them to roll with the Pack? 

Wilson: Absolutely. Absolutely. It was a blessing. Like I tell people all the time, I grew up a UNC fan, so when I went to NC State, it was a change of events and who I pulled for, but it's been the greatest blessing ever for me.

Inside Pack Sports also spoke with Cleveland manager Stephen Vogt. The second-year manager earned American League Manager of the Year honors after guiding the Guardians to a divisional title and the 2024 American League Championship Series in his first season in Cleveland. 

Inside Pack Sports: What led to Cleveland selecting Will Wilson away from the Giants? 

Vogt: Will impressed us at spring training. A couple of our coaches knew him from this time with the Giants, and so we signed him. We were excited just to add somebody who has got that type of defensive versatility in the infield, plays defense at a very elite level, and has shown signs of being able to swing the bat well.

Inside Pack Sports: Wilson is getting immersed in big league life. How has it been so far from your perspective? 

Vogt: He has been great for us. He has not gotten a ton of playing time, just we have not faced very many left-handed pitchers, but Will's a great teammate. He adds a lot of value to our team in the clubhouse and on the field, and we are just really happy for him. With the journey that his career has been for him, earning an opportunity in the big leagues has been fun.

Inside Pack Sports: Where is the growth potential for Wilson? What can he use this season to improve upon so that he can be more valuable in the future? 

Vogt: Just continuing to hit. When he was drafted, he was drafted because he could hit and then play defense. He has continued to get better with his defense. We see some encouraging signs offensively. It is just when you get those opportunities, take advantage of them, and keep earning more.

That is what we tell all of our players, but Will's been nothing but a professional, hard worker and great teammate.

Inside Pack Sports: It can be hard at times to balance development with win-now. That applies to both the player and management. The fact that there are others in a similar position to Wilson probably helps with that. 

Vogt: There are some guys where maybe you can't quantify it or you can't look at numbers that are going to tell you they're a good player, but you just watch the way they move, the way they go about their business, the way they play. They are gamers…these guys, they're great ball players.

Continue to grow, continue to get better. It might look the same, but you are more consistent, and you know who you are. You know what your strengths are, you know what makes you great.

I think for us, with the young team that we have, there are going to be some growing pains. There are gonna be some times when we have to be patient. We have to understand that it is not going to always go perfectly every single time.

Dealing with failure is not easy for a lot of young players who make it to the big leagues. They have never dealt with failure one time in their life, and now they're dealing with it against the best players in the world. That's where our patience, our empathy, but also we have to coach them and push them to get better. We have the best coaching staff in baseball, and they are doing a great job.

Inside Pack Sports: A little earlier, you mentioned Wilson’s path to the Majors. When you have encountered players who perhaps stuck with it longer than others might, does that show an intangible that perhaps can aid them more as their career progresses? 

Vogt: The resiliency that it takes to stick with it, keep fighting, and keep earning more opportunities is going to pay dividends down the road. It is paying dividends right now and will continue to. For Will specifically, he is just such a great human being. He brings everybody up around him. This kid can play.