A’s Rookie Responds to Yankees Reliever’s Meltdown

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Kristie Ackert | Last updated Jun 28, 2025 8:43 PM ET

Yankees reliever Ian Hamilton let frustration boil over Saturday night, but Athletics rookie Jacob Wilson refused to add fuel to the fire.

In the top of the seventh, with New York already trailing 4–0, Hamilton allowed a two-out single and a walk before fielding a soft comebacker off Wilson’s bat. After flipping the ball to first, Hamilton stared down the 23-year-old. Wilson stared back. It was brief, awkward, and unmissable.

“I was having a bad inning,” Hamilton admitted afterward. “A little emotional and got the ball, and then kind of looked in at him and then told him to run. … He just wasn't running out of the box. I was upset with the inning and then that was that.”

Wilson didn’t take the bait. “It’s baseball and sometimes things get hot,” he said postgame. “It’s part of the game and no hard feelings. As players, you get frustrated. No big deal.”

The incident was over fast, but it underscored a deeper issue for Hamilton, whose 2025 season continues to teeter. The 30-year-old right-hander now has a 3.90 ERA in 23 appearances, but his 13.9 percent walk rate and rising hard-hit percentage suggest that command is slipping. The “slambio” that once gave hitters fits isn’t fooling many lately, and with Marcus Stroman back from the IL and bullpen innings tightening up, Hamilton’s role could be in jeopardy.

Wilson, meanwhile, is hitting .340—second only to Aaron Judge in the majors. His maturity stood out as much as his numbers Saturday. He didn’t escalate, didn’t grandstand. He just jogged back to the dugout and let his play do the talking.

For Hamilton, the talking may soon come from the Yankees’ front office instead.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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