Phillies rookie Weston Wilson has night to remember

 According to Stathead from Baseball-Reference, Wilson is the 10th Phillie to hit a home run in his first major-league game, the first since John Mayberry, Jr. in 2009. Wilson joined an even more exclusive club by becoming the fourth Phillie to homer in his first big-league at-bat. In this category, he joins Marlon Anderson (1998), Ed Sanicki (1949), and Emmett Mueller (1938).

After three seasons of college ball at Clemson, Wilson was chosen by Milwaukee in the 17th round of the 2016 MLB draft. He spent six seasons in the Brewers' farm system, making it as high as the AAA Nashville Sounds before the Phillies signed him last January.

In 100 games for AAA Lehigh Valley this season, Wilson led the IronPigs with 25 home runs and 69 RBIs and was a close second in stolen bases (23). The Phillies called him up last Sunday after placing center fielder Brandon Marsh on the injured list.

Wilson has seen his share of adversity as well. In 2021, according to The Philadelphia Inquirer, he developed a blood clot in his shoulder that nearly proved fatal. This health scare gave Wilson a new outlook on his career.

“Things happened when they were supposed to,” Wilson said. “I think in our head we have this timeline of stuff. But I’m at peace with it. A couple of years ago, I wanted to be in the big leagues, but maybe there were some more lessons I needed to learn. I’m looking at it from that perspective of appreciation, versus it’s owed to me.”

In addition to his home run, Wilson also walked twice. Both his batting average and on-base percentage stand at 1.000 as of Thursday. Odds on Wilson winning National League Rookie of the Year are unavailable at this time.