A budding star MLB shortstop somehow credits Fortnite for his on-field success, and that’s as awesome as it is scary – Destructoid

If you haven’t heard the name Jacob Wilson, you’re either not a baseball fan, or you probably will be hearing about him very shortly.

The rookie shortstop for the Athletics (formerly Oakland, soon to be Las Vegas) is off to an incredible start in his Major League Baseball career. He’s batting .347 (that’s really good, best for second in the league behind only New York Yankees slugger Aaron Judge) with nine home runs and 40 runs batted in, and is leading the league in All-Star Game votes for his position. And he says it’s all because of Fortnite.

That’s right. According to a new interview with ESPN’s Jeff Passan, Jacob Wilson starts every day with Fortnite on PC with a controller, and the stud right-handed hitter credits his years of playing the battle royale game for some of his success on the field with the best players in the world.

“I am a big believer in video games,” Wilson said. “It’s fast decision-making strategy. I think that gets me ready for the game, because when you’re in the box, you have to process a lot. So there’s some days where I’ll wake up and I’ll play video games and then I’ll go to the field, and I’ll have a good day. Some days I won’t play and don’t see the ball well. I think it really helps me train kind of the decision-making that I have to make six, seven hours later at the baseball field.”

And Wilson isn’t a noob, either, according to teammate Max Muncy, who said “if we play a game with me and him and guys we know and you kill him once, you’re like, ‘that’s a good day.’”

Wilson is 23 years old, which makes total sense when you think about his Fortnite prowess. Fortnite: Battle Royale launched in 2017, making Wilson a teenager at the time, so he’s been playing it throughout most of his teenage years and now into early adulthood. But the fact that he says it helps him be a potential All-Star baseball player is just awesome.

But that’s also scary as hell, to me. We’re entering a new era in the world where zoomers everywhere are about to take front and center on the world stage with their skibidi memes and Fortnite dances. Man, I’m old.

But I’m not as old as Wilson’s father, Jack, who was an All-Star shortstop himself for the Pittsburgh Pirates that I used to watch growing up. Yeah, the guys I used to watch as a kid now have their own kids making a mark in the league. Man, I’m old.

“I do believe in the hand-eye coordination that video games give — as long as you do your homework,” Jack Wilson told Passan. “Kids, if you’re reading, do your homework.”

Previously, MLB star Shohei Ohtani became the first player from the league to get his own Fortnite skin. Maybe Wilson, if he continues his upwards trajectory as a player, could join him one day soon.

“Wilson has no plans to abandon his Fortnite reps,” Passan said. “It’s part of his training now, and even if it doesn’t work for everyone, he sees Victory Royales leading to victories for the A’s.”

So, there you have it, kiddos. Keep on grinding BR and you, too, could be well on your way to making millions in the big leagues. Man, I’m old.