Russell Wilson is one of the best quarterbacks in football. He has a Super Bowl ring, but hes spending his offseason with the New York Yankees and proving to be more than a celebrity gimmick. The Texas Rangers traded the Seattle Seahawks quarterback to the Yankees earlier this month for future considerations.
When the four-time Pro Bowler showed up Monday for a six-day residency at New York Yankees camp, most people were shocked because they had no idea he even played baseball. Some likened it to when country legend star Garth Brooks would join the Mets in Spring Training back in the day. Or when Master P used to do his NBA tryouts.
With all of the grief the Mets get for signing Tim Tebow and actually seriously contemplating his role with the major league team, Wilsons baseball prowess is much more impressive because hes already shown that he can perform at an All-Pro level at QB. It’s icing on the cake. More awesomeness for a Black superhero rather than a second option or an act of desperation.
In his first live batting practice, Wilson did nothing to discredit the fact that he may be the best athlete in the major pro sports.
Gabe Lacques on Twitter
Russell Wilson is a ballplayer, indeed. Three homers in Round 2, including that last swing. https://t.co/1FYcwymIYY
Wilson hit six homers out of the park in five rounds of BP, which is definitely MLB-type lumber launching.
However his smoothness on the infield at second base and his obvious ability to hit the ball on a high level actually has folks excited, although there is no shot that he would play for the Yankees during the season. Its the perfect move by the Yankees to defer some of the heightened media attention surrounding Giancarlo Stanton and new manager Aaron Boones arrival.
Coley Harvey on Twitter
QB/2B Russell Wilson works on a few double-play pivots with Yankees SS Didi Gregorius. https://t.co/TE8HjEZm6G
Wilson is actually a fourth-round pick of the Colorado Rockies who played two minor league seasons before committing fully to football in college. A huge reason why he left North Carolina State was because the university wouldnt let him play baseball, which Wilson has said is actually his first love.
Wilson had been attending Spring Training with the Texas Rangers the past few seasons, as they owned his rights. When the Yankees got a hold of him, of course it became more of a story because anything the Yankees do is a big deal in the media. Throw one of the faces of the NFL into that Spring Training mix with Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton and youve got star power oozing out of the stadium walls.
We havent seen many athletes who could master two pro sports like Bo Jackson, Brian Jordan and Deion Sanders. Russ is not trying to. Who knows if Wilson could handle himself at the major league level.
But he’s definitely elevated himself to another stratosphere when it comes to garnering respect as an all-around athlete. He might be one of the best the NFL has ever seen and hes definitely one of the best athletes walking the earth today.
