Alex Wilson was pitching against Texas in a 2007 tournament while at Winthrop University when he felt a “pop” in his right elbow.
The next thing he knew had a Tommy John operation to repair a torn ligament, which required 18 months of rehabilitation.
Wilson, who checks in at 6-1 and 204 pounds, transferred to Texas A&M where he rode the bench in 2008.
Surprisingly, the Cubs picked him in the 10th round of that year’s draft but he declined to sign – which may have been the Red Sox’ good fortune.
The Boston Red Sox selected Wilson in the second round (77th overall) of the major league draft, signed him a few days later and sent him to their short-season team in Lowell of the New York-Penn League.
n 13 starts encompassing 36 innings, Wilson was 0-1. But his ERA was 0.50 and he fanned 33 while walking seven and allowing only 10 hits.
Wilson’s fastball tops out in the 91-to-95 range and his plus slider – which is his “out” pitch – is clocked between 82 and 85.
His curveball is rated as average while his changeup is the proverbial work in progress.
More importantly he’s exhibited control and command of his fastball, slider and curve and has shown an inclination to pitch inside – which is something even major league pitchers are reluctant to do.
Wilson split the 2009 season with the Aggies as a starter and a reliever.
He compiled a 6-6 record with a 4.22 ERA, two saves and a team-high 120 strikeouts in 89 2/3 innings.
The 22-year-old Wilson recorded 14 of those whiffs in 6 2/3 shutouts during his season debut and finished with a .237 OBA.
Wilson actually took his first steps back on the road to recovery during the summer of 2008 when he pitched for the Falmouth Commodores in the Cape Cod League where he was 0-1 with a 4.60 ERA.
The unimpressive numbers were in a sense typical of a pitcher who was just coming off a major operation like Tommy John. But his performance this season for Texas A&M seemed to indicate he was all the way back.
Wilson admitted that his time with Falmouth help restore his confidence, which carried over to the 2009 fall season at A&M when he earned a spot in the team’s starting rotation. But after eight starts, he was sent to the bullpen and used as a reliever – a move which didn’t faze Wilson in the least.
“I didn’t take it as a demotion,” Wilson was quoted on A&M’s website. “I looked at it as an opportunity to better myself as a player and really help out this team. I can come in and throw 100 pitches if we need it or I can shut out a team at the end of a game.
“After you’ve had everything taken away from you and you lose it like I did, you just have that drive to get back to the guy you once were or that place you’ve been before.”
